7 Ways to Help Patients Adopt Telehealth Systems

telehealthWhich is more important: the equipment or the people? In developing telehealth solutions, it’s often easy to get caught up in the excitement around technology and forget most of the responsibility falls on people.

But if people don’t adopt a system and engage with it, then it doesn’t matter how technically advanced that system may be. So what’s the answer to help your patients adopt telehealth solutions? The same strategies that help any company or organization move people to adopt new technologies and processes.

Let’s have a look at some of these strategies.

 

1. Define a Clear Process for Engagement

Engagement doesn’t happen by magic or chance; it requires help, support, structure and encouragement. And it’s important to lay the groundwork early on so that your patients know what to expect and how, when and where they should engage with the system.

 

2. Get Help From a Coach

People have many demands on their time and attention, especially in healthcare. Just encouraging people to attend check-ins isn’t enough: you need help getting them there for the initial launch, so help them remember by enlisting someone else to help nudge people along. And the help doesn’t stop there: Your telehealth platform may be capable of routing messages to remind patients, but it’s often better to have a human do the reminding.

 

3. Set the Right Expectations

You may have the most technically advanced telehealth system in history, but that won’t help patients to adopt if they don’t understand how it works. Help them learn the basics early so they know what to expect and set realistic expectations for themselves. For example, help them see that getting started is going to take time.

 

4. Keep Things Simple for All Participants

Using a telehealth system is going to be different for every person, so help keep it as simple as possible. Don’t overwhelm people with too much information: They don’t need to know everything about the system or how it works; help them understand just what they need to know to help them get started and use the system effectively.

 

5. Make It Easy for Patients To Communicate Their Needs

There’s no point in having a system if it can’t help patients communicate their needs. If technology is going to help remove some of the burden of communication, make sure that information flows both ways. Encourage providers to help patients find and use telehealth tools effectively so they know what help is available to them.

 

6. Focus on Behavior Change

People make changes in their lives when they want to, not because you think it’s best for them. This is as true with help and support systems as with medical advice or prescriptions. Ask patients what they need help with and help them get the most out of their system by finding a way that fits into their busy schedule and lifestyle.

 

7. Review and Revise the System Regularly

Engagement doesn’t last forever. People move on, grow bored or find alternatives because technology isn’t perfect. Not only that, but technology is constantly changing and evolving, which means you have to help your patients keep up with these changes. Evaluate how people are using your system regularly so you know what is working and help provide the most help for them. Continue adding new features to help keep it fresh and exciting while helping them maintain their engagement.

 

Telehealth solutions provide many benefits, from cost savings and efficiency to better outcomes for patients. But all of those benefits only come to fruition if people adopt and use the systems.

 

Sunvera Software develops next-level software applications from start-to-finish. We are a premier software and mobile app development agency specializing in healthcare mobile app development, custom mobile app development company, telehealth software, sales dashboards, custom mobile app development services, retail software development, supply-chain software, ecommerce, shopify, web design, iBeacon apps, security solutions and unified access software.

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