Telehealth has grown in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has many benefits, such as saving the patient travel time or transportation costs, increasing access to specialists and second opinions, and it can take place almost anywhere a patient can have a private conversation.
Some healthcare services that may be conducted via telehealth include:
- Follow-ups with surgical care team after a procedure or another type of in-person visit
- Therapy or counseling sessions
- Monitoring chronic conditions with a hybrid approach—that is, alternating in-person visits with telehealth evaluations
- Prenatal care
- Genetic counseling
- Observation for acute respiratory viral illnesses
To help patients better understand telehealth, The Joint Commission released Speak Up™ At Your Telehealth Visit—a new patient safety campaign designed to educate healthcare consumers on how to navigate virtual healthcare as it changes the way patients and providers can interact.
These educational resources include:
- An infographic poster/flyer in three sizes (8.5"×11", 11"×17", and 24"×36")
- An animated video, available in both English and Spanish
- A distribution guide with recommendations on how healthcare organizations can share these materials for patients and their families, caregivers, and advocates
“The appropriate use of telehealth has the power to make healthcare more accessible for patients with diverse health needs and for underserved communities,” said Ana Pujols McKee, MD, FACP, executive vice-president, chief medical officer, and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for The Joint Commission. “However, as with any healthcare experience, there is room for human error and miscommunication. Patients can have a better telehealth experience by becoming aware of the benefits and risks of telehealth and speaking up when they have questions or concerns.”
The campaign also notes some areas in which patients may troubleshoot challenges during a telehealth visit, such as:
- Reading instructions sent by the care team
- Checking with the insurance provider to ensure telehealth is covered
- Writing down questions that arise before, during, or after the visit
- Keeping a list of current medications or symptoms
- Finding a comfortable, quiet, and private place with a lot of light
Speak Up At Your Telehealth Visit can be viewed at jointcommission.org/resources/for-consumers/speak-up-campaigns/at-your-telehealth-visit.
History of Speak Up
Launched in 2002, the award-winning Speak Up program has been used in more than 70 countries. It encourages patients to be their own advocates and to:
- Speak up
- Pay attention
- Educate yourself
- Advocates (family members and friends) can help
- Know about your new medicine
- Use a quality healthcare organization
- Participate in all decisions about your care
Organizations are free to reproduce and disseminate Speak Up At Your Telehealth Visit materials if they credit The Joint Commission.
For updates on new Speak Up campaigns as they become available, sign up for email alerts at jointcommission.org/e-alerts.
Disclaimer
The thoughts and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Dr. Jacobs and do not necessarily reflect those of The Joint Commission or the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Lenworth Jacobs is professor of surgery and professor of traumatology and emergency medicine, University of Connecticut, and director, Trauma Institute at Hartford Hospital, CT. He is Medical Director, ACS STOP THE BLEED® program.
