New Site Troubleshooting - Telehealth Equipment Kits

            The Fall 2014 Telehealth rollout to Mosaic Medical’s Redmond Clinics brings a fresh wave of challenges, but the solutions to each issue are being executed in tandem by the team in Prineville.   

            Mosaic Prineville’s two resident Telehealth managers have been solely in charge of enrolling patients in Ideal Life, educating patients on equipment use, installing the equipment in patient homes, and monitoring and forwarding transmitted readings for all enrollees.  It is anticipated that Redmond’s rollout will add 25-50 new patients to their caseload.  With a 30 minute drive separating the clinics, plus many more miles to the rural homes of patients, it is logistically impossible that the RN Care Coordinator and Team Care Assistant could continue to provide equal and quality care to existing and new patients in both cities given the current process.  Each home installation may take up to 2 hours, leaving no one at the clinic to check on alerts for current patients and complete other obligations.  Sending one employee out for an installation could place that team member at risk of harm, and is still less efficient than possible.

            To troubleshoot this issue, Telehealth equipment kits have been created by the RNCC and TCA, containing different combinations of equipment that could be ordered by Redmond providers.  These kits streamline the process and allow the patient to take responsibility for home installation.  In the provider’s office, patients may be given a demonstration of how to use the equipment, just as had previously taken place in home.  Instructions for installation, and phone number from troubleshooting are included with the equipment to guide the patient once they arrive at home.  To date, ten Prineville patients have been sent with kits from their providers, and have experienced no difficulties in getting the equipment set up, with readings successfully transmitting back to the clinic. 

            It is anticipated that this standardized process can be duplicated at the Redmond clinics.  Once a provider makes a referral, the Medical Assistant will bring the appropriate kit to the patient.  The MA will ensure that the Remote Monitoring Consent Waiver and Release is retrieved from the kit, stamped with the patient’s Medical Record Number, filled out by the patient, and faxed to the Prineville clinic, so that the RNCC and TCA can enroll the patient in Ideal Life.  Further, this communication will enable the Prineville team to contact the patient, answering any further questions about the program, completing any troubleshooting, and provide any additional education if necessary.  One concern from the Redmond clinic was that explaining the equipment to the patient might consume an excessive amount of MA time – the clearly articulated instructions included in the kits should eliminate this issue.