A guide to understanding telehealth

What is telehealth?

Understanding telehealth is essential in today’s digital age. Telehealth leverages technology, including video conferencing, phone calls and online platforms, to deliver health care services remotely. Typically, telehealth refers to any health care service provided from a distance. This can encompass consultations and assessments, patient monitoring and treatment delivery using digital platforms. It is often used to describe:

• Virtual consultations: Real-time video visits that replace traditional in-person appointments.
• Remote monitoring: This allows health care providers to track their patients remotely using wearable devices or mobile apps.
• Digital health platforms: Allow patients to actively participate in their health care decisions using self-assessment instruments or educational materials.

Types of care

Telehealth encompasses a diverse range of services including:

• General health consultations and wellness visits
• Medication prescriptions and management
• Mental health counseling and therapy
• Treatment for urgent care conditions (sinusitis, urinary tract infections, common rashes)
• Dermatological assessments and skin care
• Remote eye examinations
• Nutrition counseling and dietary guidance

Benefits of telehealth for patients

Telehealth offers patients considerable advantages:

Comfort and safety: Patients stay in familiar environments, which reduces medical facility anxiety and minimizes infection exposure.

Convenience and accessibility: Eliminates travel time and transportation barriers, enables care from home, work or anywhere with the internet and provides access to specialists regardless of location.

Digital integration: Connects with patient portals and streamlines prescription management.

Engagement: Simplifies family involvement in care, integrates with digital health tools and empowers patients in their health care journey.

Enhanced care: Allows more frequent provider check-ins, improves chronic condition monitoring and enables timely treatment adjustments.

Time and cost savings: Reduces time off work or school, eliminates transportation expenses and often lowers out-of-pocket costs.

Telehealth and virtual care at Enhabit

At Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, we’ve developed a comprehensive telehealth program designed to complement our in-person services and extend our reach to patients wherever they call home. Our approach includes:

Virtual care excellence

Our telehealth services maintain the same high standards as our traditional care models:

• Consistent care standards: We apply identical clinical protocols and quality metrics to both in-person and virtual care.
• Patient-centered approach: Virtual care plans are customized to individual needs, preferences and technical capabilities.
• Seamless care integration: Our telehealth services are fully integrated with our electronic health records and in-person care processes.

Comprehensive virtual services

We offer a wide range of telehealth options to meet diverse patient needs:

• Digital care management: Online tools for medication management, symptom tracking and health education.
• Hybrid care models: Combinations of virtual and in-person services tailored to individual patient situations.
• On-demand urgent care: Rapid access to clinicians for acute but non-emergency concerns.
• Remote monitoring programs: Continuous tracking of vital signs and symptoms for patients with chronic conditions.
• Scheduled video visits: Comprehensive appointments with providers for evaluation, treatment planning and follow-up care.
• Virtual specialist consultations: Access to specialized expertise regardless of patient location.

Technology support

We recognize that telehealth requires technical readiness:

• Alternative options: Phone-based services for patients with limited video capabilities.
• Caregiver training: Support for family members assisting patients with telehealth technology.
• Digital literacy resources: Educational materials to help patients build comfort with telehealth tools.
• Equipment assistance: Guidance on setting up and using remote monitoring devices and telehealth applications.
• Patient technical support: Dedicated staff to help patients navigate our telehealth platforms and troubleshoot connection issues.

The impact of telehealth

Digital health care solutions have transformed access by eliminating traditional barriers. These approaches remove geographic, transportation and scheduling limitations while saving patients time and money. Patients gain from receiving care in a comfortable environment with reduced risk of infection and increased family and caregiver involvement. This convenience enhances appointment adherence and provider engagement, facilitating early intervention for emerging issues and improving the management of chronic conditions. Remote monitoring technology provides real-time health data for precise care adjustments, while easier access to mental health services addresses behavioral factors impacting physical well-being. By creating more patient-centered and efficient health care systems, telehealth and virtual care ensure that the right care reaches patients at the right time, regardless of circumstances, ultimately resulting in healthier populations.