Telehealth Services

This report analyzes the viability and feasibility of incorporating telehealth services for effective transmission of healthcare services by hospitals. It includes technical, operational, and economic feasibility analysis, along with tangible and intangible benefits. The report also discusses the strategic, tactical, and operational impacts of the initiative.

Running head: TELEHEALTH
Telehealth Services
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note:

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Table of contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Purpose of the initiative........................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Overall functionality.................................................................................................................................. 4
1.3 System assumptions and dependencies............................................................................................ 4
1.4 Implementation and Roll-out plan...................................................................................................... 4
2.Feasibility Analysis............................................................................................................................................. 5
2.1Technical feasibility.................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2Operational feasibility............................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Economic feasibility.................................................................................................................................. 5
2.4 Tangible and Intangible Benefits......................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Organizational Impacts................................................................................................................................. 7
3.2.1 Strategic........................................................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.2 Tactical............................................................................................................................................................. 7
3.2.3 Operational Deliverables and Timeframe......................................................................................... 7
Reference................................................................................................................................................................... 9

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1. Introduction
Telehealth is a new aspect in the field of healthcare services, it employs the
telecommunication and technology to deliver a virtual health, medical and educational
services. Telehealth is not considered as a very specific service, however it is an
agglomeration of all the technological means that augment education and health care
delivery (Weinstein et al., 2014). Previously, telemedicine is term which is used to refer to
the healthcare delivered through the means of technology. However, telehealth is a broad
and most commonly used term which encompasses broad range of diagnostics,
management of the delivery of health care, health related education delivery and the other
associated fields of healthcare. Telehealth include several services which include home
health, dentistry, occupational and physical therapy, counselling, disaster management,
chronic disease management and monitoring, educating consumers professionally. This
study is based on the viability of incorporating the telehealth services which will help in the
effective transmission of health care services by the hospitals (Mistry, 2012). The report
focusses on the proposal of a telehealth plan that will be beneficial for the stakeholders and
will help in an assisted delivery of advanced healthcare.
1.1 Purpose of the initiative
The purpose of the initiative involves the health care delivery to the patients who
are located in the remote places and require immediate and emergency health care
interventions. Also this initiative includes the effective management, prevention as well as
chronic and acute health conditions (Coulter et al., 2013). The proposed healthcare
initiative includes the setup of a team of professional executive physicians and tele experts,

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who can take calls from the patients situated locally and remotely. The health care will be
dispensed and delivered through the telecommunication services. A data center also needs
to be setup that can record the calls for further analysis, and a data warehouse which can
enlist the cases that require urgent health care information delivery. An auto allocator
which can allocate calls to the respective expert team which will have the expertise to deal
with the specific cases
1.2 Overall functionality
The functionality of the overall initiative involves a framework and structured
management that deals with the problems conveyed by the patients, next is the analysis of
the problems by the experts and a subsequent delivery of the health care to the ailing
patients through telecommunication services.
1.3 System assumptions and dependencies
The administrative system will remain the same, however a new department which
will perform the main telehealth services will be created. This department will be under
the direct control of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Information Officer (CTO).
Along with this integration a specialized team of health care professionals will be setup that
can take calls directly from the tele experts after a call is transferred.
1.4 Implementation and Roll-out plan
The roll out plan includes the whole setup to be built within the time frame of 4
months which include training of the tele expert teams, setup of team of health care
professionals, the setup of data center and data warehouse (Smith et al., 2012).

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2.Feasibility Analysis
Whenever a project is undertaken, it comes with some technical, operational and
economic difficulties which needs to be sorted before the final roll-out of the project. At the
same time a question arises whether the project is possible and practical enough to
develop feasible enough to continue. Hence, project undertaken needs to assessed before it
is actually brought into practice.
2.1Technical feasibility
From the technical perspective, there are several new devices that needs to be
acquired by the company, like the data center, data warehouse and the telecommunication
devices (Spano et al., 2013). A technical team will constantly monitor the data and
accordingly put a time stamp and assign names of the urgent situations, so that when
needed the data can be fetched later according to the requirement.
2.2Operational feasibility
From the operational side, a lot of new inclusion and staffs are needed that will be
augmenting the tasks. A team of professionals will be required that will maintain the data
center and data warehouse. A software team needs to develop which will help in the auto
allocation of the calls to the depending on the requirements of the patients. While at the
same time, the tele experts need to be trained in the field so that will be able to understand
the medical complications. The problems or the ailments that are conveyed by the patient
needs to be further analyzed when the tele experts will be unable to solve the issues. Also, a
team of separate professional that have the expertise to deal with the emergency situations

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must be set up so that they can effectively and proactively respond to the urgent situations
over the call (Massé, Rajagopal & Singh, 2014).
2.3 Economic feasibility
Along with workforce, IT team, and the health care professionals, each and every
project needs to be economically and financially viable as well. Although this full project
and it final setup requires huge sum of money, however after the final plan is rolled out and
gets working. Then the financial benefits accrued by the hospital and the healthcare
benefits accrued by the patients will be equally beneficial (Sesana & Salvalai, 2013).
2.4 Tangible and Intangible Benefits
There are many benefits of telehealth initiate to the hospital and the stakeholders.
The organization taking this initiative can reduce the cost of care. The long term benefits
include increase in the system capacity. In the context of the patients, the main benefit
which this initiative will give is the transportation efficiency. Patients with disability
struggle driving to doctors just for latest test results. Those living in remote areas are at
bigger disadvantage as they do not live in convenient places. At the time of emergency, it is
often observed that immediate health care access is delayed. However, with the help of this
technology, it is much more convenient for the patients to seek medical attention and at
any point of time. Test results can be shared with the patients faster than before, using
video call and allow more frequent follow ups (Sabesan & Kelly, 2015).
Telehealth can help in accessing physicians that are not local and ensures continuity
of care as they can now track the progress of illness. With the help of this initiative it is
possible to save huge time for both patients and the health care providers. Physicians too

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can reach the patients who are not local. They can now care for more patients as they do
not have to travel between facilities. It is an added advantage when there is disruption due
to unfavorable climate. Further both the patent and the doctor can benefit with real-time
second opinion. It means that rural doctors can now have more resources and scope of
knowledge (Lakenauth & Tang, 2014).
3.2 Organizational Impacts
3.2.1 Strategic
Telehealth initiative with the help of strategic planning will help in clarifying the
chaos, develop and sustain value focus and align resources, motivate employees and
enhances their engagement and effective implementation. This initiative will ensure the
accountability and lead to better organizational collaboration to deliver high quality patient
care. Most significant issues will be identified and strategies to make the initiative
successful will be developed (Edgerton, 2017).
3.2.2 Tactical
The initiative plans to access millions of people in small time. The aim is to serve big
purpose and foster greater good. Tactical impact will examine real life problems of the
stakeholder in regards to this initiative. Before starting the needs and problems of the
patients most commonly and demands telehealth initiative will be identified and defined.
Implementation of the tactical plan will include transformational leadership (Agboola et al.,
2014).

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3.2.3 Operational Deliverables and Timeframe
The operational deliveries with this initiative will cover dentistry, counselling, home
health, physical and occupational therapy, and chronic disease monitoring and
management. The four distinct modes of applications include live video, and remote patent
monitoring. After the plan is successful it can be extended to other modalities such as
transmission of recorded health history through secure electronic communication system.
It can also be later extended to mobile health model. It will be used to support the patient
education.
The time frame for this initiative will be four months and additional one month will be
allocated for the staff training and educating the physicians on ways to support the
patients.

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