1 Introduction
2 Population and Healthcare System Structures
2.1 Country Structures
2.2 Healthcare Data Structures
3 Telehealth Solutions and Challenges
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Staff training: Training the staff for telehealth is a challenge as some nurses fear that telehealth makes them redundant or contrary to the goal would increase the workload instead of reducing it.
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Project management: A dedicated project manager is needed to ensure that implementation of telehealth projects stay within the allotted time restraints as the amount of staff time to carry out telehealth work was often underestimated.
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Patient and staff support: Choosing the correct patients for telehealth procedures is important as some are reluctant to use the process. Training the patient in the use of telehealth is as equally important as the staff as some diseases require specialized equipment.
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Technology: When delivering telehealth, the compatibility for the patients existing networks is needed. This is also a factor when considering rural areas, which might not have the necessary networks to achieve data speeds needed for some newer technologies. Setup, calibration and maintenance of needed equipment is also crucial.
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Local partnership: To successfully implement telehealth solutions, local authorities should be included in the process so that they understand what are the goals of the concepts.
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Funding: Most telehealth projects lack long-term funding, so to be able to implement more successful projects, multi-year funding should be secured.
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Strategic planning: A long-term plan is recommended for a successful implementation as it takes time to complete.