Q. What is the difference between telehealth and telemedicine?
A. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, telemedicine refers to the use of electronic communications and information technologies to provide or support clinical care at a distance. Telehealth is a broader concept, defined as the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical care, patient and professional health related education, public health and health administration.
Q. Why telemedicine?
A. There are many reasons, including increased access to care for patients who live long distances from specialists and reduced travel costs and travel time for both physicians and patients.
Q. Is my privacy protected when using telemedicine communication technologies?
A. The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulates the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). PHI is any information about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual. To protect patients from inappropriate disclosure of health information, telecommunications networks used for telemedicine must be HIPAA compliant, meaning they are appropriately secure.
Q. How is telemedicine delivered?
A. It uses teleconferencing equipment, which allows for interaction "face-to-face" with patients and health care providers at distant sites. Another alternative is called "store and forward" where clinical information is sent to a health care provider, but this does not allow for dialogue in real-time.
Q. What patient needs are being met currently?
A. We are assisting patients who need psychiatric care by connecting them with psychiatrists located in Pocatello. We plan to offer other services over time.
Q. What do the patients think about seeing their doctor on a video monitor?
A. Patients quickly get accustomed to it and many have said that without this technology, they would not have been able to see a psychiatrist because of the great distances they would have had to travel.