10 examples of telehealth in action that gives a glimpse into the future of care

Among the many examples of telehealth that were propelled during the pandemic, one that is likely to endure is online patient screening and engagement.

Since COVID-19 hit, hospitals and home care organizations have been using online questionnaires to triage and monitor suspected coronavirus patients, with call centers contacting high-risk patients for additional information before referring them to the appropriate care provider.

During the pandemic, leading radiology centers have used personalized text messages to remind patients of their upcoming exams, making them feel at ease by sharing links to safety protocols and other educational content. They have also virtualized their check-in processes, allowing patients to check in with a text message once they arrive at the hospital. Staff receive an automatic notification via the electronic health record system and can send a text message back once they are ready to see the patient.

Like telehealth tools that connect patients to care providers, the use of provider-to-provider telehealth also skyrocketed over the past year, offering healthcare professionals new and innovative ways to collaborate even when they are far apart.

One such innovation in medical imaging comes from Philips - called the Radiology Operations Command Center -  it enables expert imaging technologists to remotely train, guide, and assist less experienced or specialized colleagues in satellite locations. The power of this concept is that it allows for collaboration and over-the-shoulder support in real time, while the patient is on the scanner table. This help to ensure consistent image quality across sites, minimizing the need for unnecessary repeat scans.

Tele-ultrasound is another of many emerging examples of how telehealth can help to make expert knowledge more widely available throughout a health network – particularly in remote regions where specialized staff may be limited.

Although ultrasound technology is getting easier to operate, it still requires a relatively high level of manual skills, especially in more complex clinical cases. Using a live collaboration platform integrated into an ultrasound system, an experienced sonographer at an urban hospital can support a colleague at a remote site in performing the exam.

Interventional physicians, who perform image-guided minimally invasive procedures, have also started to explore the use of virtual collaboration platforms to continue providing peer-to-peer education.

In-depth knowledge of new and highly specialized interventional procedures can be limited to a small pool of physicians. Normally, these experts would be physically present in an interventional room to offer a less experienced user on-the-job training. Through virtual collaboration, they can look over their peer’s shoulder via webcams mounted on the ceiling of the interventional room.

Tele-ICUs are another great example of how telehealth can extend the line of sight of physicians to any hospital in the country – or even the world.

Led by an intensivist care team in a central monitoring facility that acts somewhat like an air traffic control center, tele-ICUs allow for patients to be monitored remotely and transitioned to the most appropriate care setting. Intensivists and nurses in the central hub are supported by high-definition cameras, telemetry, and advanced data visualization to assist their bedside colleagues, wherever they are located. Predictive analytics alerts care teams to early signs of patient deterioration, allowing them to intervene quickly when needed.

Where will remote patient monitoring go from here? Expect wearable biosensors to be a big part of the answer. Worn discreetly on the chest, these sensors can measure and transmit vital signs such as respiratory data and heart rate, as well as other patient data like posture and activity level.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak and the PPE shortages that initially accompanied it, hospitals have benefited greatly from using wearable biosensors to closely monitor patients on dedicated COVID-19 wards without exposing staff to unnecessary risks. Yet their potential application extends well beyond that – from low-acuity settings in the hospital all the way into people’s homes.

One large population set to benefit from new monitoring technologies are pregnant women, especially those at risk of complications. With many women worrying about the impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy1, the pandemic has highlighted the value of remote prenatal care.

Tele-dentistry cannot go unmentioned – because it offers exactly the sort of convenience and on-demand access that the modern health consumer desires - allowing patients to consult a licensed dentist via a mobile app, without having to leave their home or making an appointment. By sharing high-resolution photos of their teeth and flagging specific concerns, they can get a personalized assessment and practical advice for ongoing improvement of their oral health.

Despite the clear potential of these and other telehealth examples to improve access to care regardless of where patients live, the pandemic has also sparked concerns that large parts of the population may be left behind because they lack access to a reliable internet connection2.

This has brought to the fore the importance of ICT and telecommunication in healthcare to allow for faster transmission of information, as well as digitization of complex data, which will accelerate efficient interaction between healthcare professionals and patients.

At Philips, for instance, we partner with leading telecom players across the globe to realize telehealth’s full potential for the future. Most recently, we signed a memorandum of understanding with du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), to collaboratively transform healthcare in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as partnered with The Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the largest telecom operator in the Middle East, to rollout telehealth solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence.