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Telemedicine Training For Physicians

Adopting new technology can be confusing for practitioners. Insufficient knowledge of how to use software can prevent you from maximizing its benefits. And, on the contrary, telemedicine training for physicians can assist the whole teams, making their work more efficient.

What telemedicine training for physicians is needed?

The goal of staff training for telehealth is to minimize obstacles to the adoption of online services. Well-trained personnel help businesses reach their goals faster. That’s why training should be connected to business goals and should consist of both theoretical and practical parts. To discover how to organize practical staff training for telehealth, read our useful tips.

#1 Ask your telehealth provider for training support

Assuming you’ve already chosen your telehealth provider, it would be an excellent decision to ask them for educational materials or even a live demo with a Q&A session. Most telehealth vendors understand that their clients will need training support for medical staff and offer it as part of the implementation service at no additional cost. If staff training is not included in the basic package, a telehealth provider may charge an extra fee for onboarding. You should clarify the availability of training support when choosing a vendor. Ask vendors about training plans and formats so you can prepare your staff and arrange the training session.

#2 Involve relevant staff in training

For staff to feel engaged, training must be relevant to their jobs and demonstrate the benefits of telehealth solutions. For instance, you can show your staff how new technology cuts down on management tasks and saves time. You should divide your staff into groups according to work tasks and show each group how to efficiently use a specific telehealth feature. 

Groups could look like this:

  • Practitioners – video conferencing features 
  • Managers and assistants – scheduling features
  • IT team members – troubleshooting, etc.
Training groups by job roles

#3 Lure enthusiasts into learning

You’re lucky if you have people on your team who share your vision and are open to change. These enthusiasts can be useful when colleagues need help. Enthusiasts often learn on the fly, want to know more about new features, and are eager to help others. 

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Engage enthusiasts in the learning process to save money on refresh training. You may even make one of them a power user who will train to become an expert on telehealth software. Having a resident expert will speed up the problem-solving process. A power user can also be a bridge between you and your telehealth vendor.

#4 Understand the learning curve

Once you have someone who understands the process of working with telehealth software, it’s time to share the knowledge. However, people are different in the way they perceive information and use it in practice. That’s why it’s important to understand the learning curve and develop the protocols that will assist your team in using telehealth solutions and will fit their desired workflow at the same time.

These protocols should offer clear guidelines for:

  • Telehealth software implementation. Create concise instructions on whether telehealth should or shouldn’t be implemented.
  • The quality of care. Share the best practices to ensure the highest patient satisfaction.
  • The requirements that need to be preserved. Work on the requirements, that have to provide the team with information, which headsets and cameras are the most suitable, and what is the recommended internet speed.

#5 Choose a training method 

Ask your personnel what training method is most convenient for them. It can be a webinar, a demo session, a practical lesson, or a “play day” when staff test the equipment or software. The better people respond to a training method, the higher the engagement. Training should give participants a clear understanding of:

  • how to connect with telehealth system
  • the features of the telehealth solution
  • how to use the equipment and software
  • the process flow
  • troubleshooting, etc.

Get feedback after training to discover pain points and challenges. This will help you plan further educational steps.

#6 Create a learning plan

It’s impossible to encompass all the topics at once, so make sure you have created a plan that divides the most important topics into pieces that are easier to manage. This will help you streamline the learning process. Your topics might include both communication tips and technical questions, describing all the necessary documentation, the workflow, and the patient management process.

#7 Run testing sessions 

Testing sessions are an efficient way for employees to gain skills. During testing sessions, employees can go through the whole process of providing telehealth services by themselves and learn all the nuances. Role-playing is the best way to define challenging situations and prepare for them in real eVisits. 

Role-play training

You can pair your employees with each other or ask a patient for help and hold role-play sessions, or you can ask reliable people outside your team for help. Here are some possible role-playing pairs: 

Employee–employee. When employees are paired up, they can take as much time as they need to figure out how everything works and test any situation they can imagine. 

Employee–third-party member. In this pair, a third-party member can be any non-medical person the employee trusts and feels comfortable around. This role-play allows the practitioner to track eVisit time, gain confidence, and make sure they won’t forget to send a medical prescription or bill to a patient. 

Employee–patient. Start taking the first steps toward delivering your service with loyal patients and get their feedback on your new technology. It’s also useful to role-play the situation where the practitioner explains how to connect with a system in case of difficulties. 

#8 Get answers to outstanding questions 

After finishing the above steps, gather training participants and prepare a FAQ sheet. Beforehand, ask your telehealth provider if they already have such a document. If they do, check the answers there first and then ask for any additional clarifications. 

#9 Evaluate the knowledge you’ve gained

Make sure you’re ready to launch your telehealth solution by asking personnel to demonstrate their skills. It would be great if you prepared tests to assess education outcomes. Plus, tests help people build strong associations and remember material better.

Telemedicine resources, guides, and courses for physicians

Here are free online resources you can use to facilitate the adoption of telehealth services in your healthcare facility:

Telemedicine Quick Guide (AMA)

The AMA has created this concise guide to assist physicians and medical practices in implementing telemedicine in a timely manner.

Digital Health Implementation Playbook for Remote Patient Monitoring (AMA)

Look at key steps, best practices, and available resources that are essential for accelerating the adoption of digital health solutions. 

Telehealth Implementation Playbook (AMA)

This guide provides clinicians with the information to successfully implement telemedicine appointments.

Telehealth training and workforce development

Learn how to leverage virtual training to facilitate the successful implementation of a telehealth program and acquire the necessary skills.

CORE Concepts in Telehealth Certificate Program

The American Board of Telehealth offers an exceptional course designed to provide comprehensive instruction on telehealth's operational and regulatory aspects. 

Stanford Center for Health Education: Telehealth: Strategy, Implementation, and Optimization

The University of Stanford provides executives and managers in the healthcare industry with a 6-week course that offers valuable insight into the financial, legal, and operational aspects of telehealth.

Telemedicine Cornell Course

In this foundational course, you can learn how to effectively run telemedicine appointments and communicate with your patients both verbally and nonverbally.

Wrapping up

Keep in mind that staff training for telehealth is one of the critical components of a successful online services roll-out. Highly skilled personnel are capable of keeping patients satisfied, bringing prosperity to your whole facility. You can empower your staff by providing well-designed training with the help of the tips above.

Do you want to successfully implement telehealth services? Discover how our digital solution can help you to perform smooth telehealth roll-out. 

FAQ
  • To discover how to organize practical staff training for telehealth, read our useful tips.

    • Ask your telehealth provider for training support
    • Involve relevant staff in training
    • Lure enthusiasts into learning
    • Understand the learning curve
    • Choose a training method 
    • Create a learning plan
    • Run testing sessions 
    • Get answers to outstanding questions 
    • Evaluate the knowledge you’ve gained
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