Page 37 Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring RPM for Long Termand Post Acute Care A Primer and Provider Selection Guide 2013

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new model of care is clearly defined and that staff 7.4 Technology Review and Selection
have been prepared with training and support
plans. To gain the most benefit out of telehealth, Once an organization has completed the visioning
ensure it is used as a tool for changing care delivery and strategic planning exercise, assessed organi-
and workflows, both inside the organization and zational readiness, assembled the project team, set
with outside partners, and not simply an add-on. the project’s goals and designed the program, then
Adding telehealth, or any other technology for that the team needs to develop a set of requirements to
matter, without assessing and redesigning processes use as criteria to review and select the appropriate
and workflows to take advantage of the technolo- telehealth technology solution that can help achieve
gies’ capabilities and efficiencies, will likely fail to desired program’s goals and meets an organization’s
produce the anticipated benefits. needs. When reviewing possible telehealth technol-
ogy options, it is important to know what type of
7.3.3.2 Patient Population telehealth technology embodiment fits within an
organization’s care setting and planned care delivery
Identifying the patient population an organization model, etc. In the CAST Telehealth and RPM Selec-
wants to reach with telehealth-enabled care should tion Matrix that follows, we outline options that
be done at the earliest stages of planning. As part will help narrow down the selection to a limited
of this process, ensure that there is a process for number of vendors that can be invited to submit
patient identification, enrollment and gathering of request for proposals.
their consents. Demonstrating the value of tele-
health and making sure that patients understand
their care will be improved, not diminished, is at 8 TelehealTh and rPm
the heart of the consent process. seleCTion maTrix ComPonenTs

7.3.3.3 Business Model: Expenses and Revenue CAST’s Telehealth Workgroup, consisting of pro-
Sources viders, vendors and consultants, compiled a list of

Consider the care deliver and payment model(s) telehealth and RPM products that serve the LT-
PAC market, as well as a list of functionalities and
being proposed for the telehealth program. Identify capabilities that would help providers choose the
all expenses including technology infrastructure, telehealth and RPM product that fits their business
connectivity, telehealth system expenses, installa- line and functional requirements best. Each of the
tion, troubleshooting, maintenance and support, telehealth and RPM vendors was then provided
change management, training, clinical services and the opportunity to complete a self-review of the
support. Identify all the revenue sources (private workgroup’s pre-determined questions. Some of
pay, payer, strategic partner), and carefully calculate these vendors chose not to participate. Those who
the organization’s ROI, as well as the other stake- did participate were then offered the opportunity to
holders’ (please see section 6.8). nominate a case study from a provider’s perspective

on the use of the vendor’s telehealth/RPM product.

LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)