The widespread use of telehealth could ‘transform medical services’, but the emphasis needs to move away from technology towards a ‘grass-roots strategic approach’ to deployment, experts said this week.
Speaking at the Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, a panel of industry leaders discussed whether the approach to telehealth to date had been too focused on technology.
We need to re-engage hearts and minds regarding the potential telehealth can deliver. Technology systems need to allow people to say ‘I own my own care'
Speakers included Dr Martin McShane, NHS England’s director for long-term conditions; Dr Richard Pope, clinical director at Dynamic Health Systems; and Beverley Bryant, NHS England’s director of strategic systems and technology.
They unanimously agreed that telehealth had so far been too focused on the systems and argued that more needed to be done to break down barriers and to demonstrate the benefits.
McShane said: “We need to put person-centred care central to what we do. If we are really going to do this we need to make sure people are empowered and in control. We need to support professional collaborations and draw upon evidence. We need to work out how we plan, invest, monitor and improve services using resources to best effect.
We need training, education and narrative to deliver potential for technology-enabled care systems
"All this is enabled by digital technology and we need to re-engage hearts and minds regarding the potential telehealth can deliver. Technology systems need to allow people to say ‘I own my own care'.
"We need to look at the system levers that stop us getting pull across the system - I bet there isn't a single healthcare professional that goes to work saying ‘how difficult can I make this for patients?' We need training, education and narrative to deliver potential for technology-enabled care systems."
Digital ambitions have been realised, but we are working now to disseminate real-life examples of the benefits telehealth has to offer for patients and clinicians
Bryant added: "A lot has been invested in putting technology in people's homes, but it has failed to achieve the full benefits because it has been a strategic approach - it needs to be done at a grass-roots level.
“We need to build telehealth solutions that work best for people on the ground.
"Digital ambitions have been realised, but we are working now to disseminate real-life examples of the benefits telehealth has to offer for patients and clinicians. We hope this will encourage people to see the potential."
