What is clinical telehealth?
To experience the provision of vital health services – remotely – you need a telehealth platform that has been designed specifically for clinical health settings.
By now, everyone should be familiar with telehealth. But, in case you’re not, telehealth involves a remote consultation with a healthcare provider when they have determined a physical examination isn’t needed, and the patient can’t visit in person. Find out more.
So, what happens when a patient does require a clinical examination during a telehealth video consultation?
…The solution is clinical telehealth.
What is clinical telehealth?
Clinical telehealth is a video-call solution that has been designed with customised specifications and functions that meet the unique requirements of health professionals who engage with their patients, remotely.
To successfully perform evidence-based medical services via telehealth, health professionals require video call technology that supports remote patient examinations and enables them to securely capture, share and retrieve patient clinical data and health records, regardless of where they are practising.
While traditional video conferencing platforms have been indispensable during the pandemic for COVID-safe health consultations, the telehealth model of the future requires advanced clinical capabilities.
The 4 components of a clinical telehealth solution
A video call platform engineered to meet health requirements
To perform evidence-based, collaborative diagnoses via telehealth, health professionals require access to real-time, high-quality patient data.
A video call platform used to provide clinical services includes:
- secure, end-to-end encryption for patient privacy and security during video calls,
- high-speed, HD imaging for medical grade images and video that support remote patient examinations and diagnoses,
- high-fidelity audio for remote auscultation that delivers crystal-clear heart, lung, and body sounds,
- bandwidth optimising technology to ensure the best possible video quality at all times, even in low-bandwidth environments.
An easy-to-use telehealth hardware system
With health staff experiencing unprecedented workload pressures, a clinical telehealth system requires an intuitive user interface for ease of use, and flexibility so that it can adapt to clinician workflows across the health ecosystem.
A clinical telehealth system can be deployed across existing ICT assets such as all-in-one computers, smart phones, tablets, and laptops, as well as via compact, purpose-built, desktop telehealth ‘kiosks’. This flexibility ensures that a clinical telehealth system can be scaled for use across all locations, including suburban GP clinics, large metropolitan hospitals, and very remote community health centres.
A suite of integrated medical devices
The ability to bring approved medical devices directly into a clinical telehealth video call means that detailed patient examinations can be performed during a remote consultation.
Devices such as stethoscope, ECG, blood-sugar and blood-pressure monitors, pulse oximeter, ultrasound, thermometer, weight scales, as well as imaging devices such as otoscope, endoscope, dental camera, and general examination cameras, can be incorporated into a clinical telehealth system, transforming a remote consultation into an opportunity to collaborate with remote colleagues and practise evidence-based telemedicine.
Patient data and media that is collected and assessed during a clinical virtual care consultation, can be viewed live, on screen; shared with any number of remote health professionals; or securely saved to the patient record, and retrieved for review.
Software that enables digital integration
The digital health model of the future hinges on systems integration to enable the seamless transfer of, and access to, patient health records, right across the patient journey.
A telehealth system with clinical capabilities is underpinned by advanced software that facilitates integration with practice management systems and electronic health records, meaning vital health data can be securely collected, stored, shared, and retrieved.
Digital integration enhances the provision of connected, coordinated care by putting the patient at the centre, regardless of whether care is delivered in a rural GP clinic or a hospital emergency department.
