What is Virtual Care or Telehealth?

Virtual Care, often called TeleHealth, is revolutionizing healthcare by allowing patients to receive medical care remotely. This approach to healthcare delivery uses technology to connect with healthcare providers without needing in-person visits. This approach is instrumental for people living in rural areas, where access to doctors and specialists can be limited due to a shortage of healthcare professionals. Erlanger Telehealth is here for you.

During Telehealth Awareness Week, celebrated from September 15-21, 2024, it’s important to highlight how TeleHealth is bridging the gap in healthcare accessibility, especially for rural communities. Many rural areas across the United States need more doctors. This scarcity can lead to delayed care, longer travel times for medical appointments, and poorer health outcomes for rural residents. TeleHealth solves this problem by bringing healthcare services directly to patients, no matter where they live.

Erlanger’s Virtual Care program is a prime example of how TeleHealth can make a difference. In the 2024 Fiscal Year, the program facilitated over 11,000 virtual interactions between patients and healthcare providers. This allowed patients to receive timely medical advice and care and saved them 290,000 miles in round trips to healthcare facilities. In perspective, that’s equivalent to traveling around the Earth more than 11 times!

Erlanger’s Virtual Care Services

Erlanger offers various Virtual Care services directly to patients and to surrounding medical facilities that support staff in rural areas. These services include:

• Teleneurology/Stroke: This service connects surrounding medical facilities to an expert panel of Erlanger’s Stroke – Neurologists to help diagnose Strokes sooner and determine an appropriate and effective care plan within minutes. In some scenarios, this allows patients to stay closer to home while receiving best-in-class stroke care through Erlanger.
• Outpatient Telemedicine: Patients can have virtual appointments with their healthcare providers for routine check-ups, follow-ups, or consultations without leaving their homes.
• Tele-Neonatology: This service provides specialized care for newborns in remote hospitals by connecting pediatric providers with neonatologists at Erlanger. It allows sick infants to be safely cared for in their community hospital without needing transport.
• Tele-Psychiatry: Mental health services are delivered to surrounding Emergency Departments via virtual consultations, offering patients access to psychiatric care that might otherwise be unavailable in their area.
• Virtual Sitting: This innovative service involves remotely monitoring patients who require supervision for various reasons such as behavioral health concerns, those at risk for falls, those at risk for elopement, and companionship, all of which enhance patient safety and optimize the use of hospital staff.

With these services, Erlanger is improving healthcare access and patient care quality. The program continuously expands, with more Virtual Care services in development to address broader medical needs.

Telehealth Awareness Week

It’s a great time to recognize the vital role that Virtual Care plays in making healthcare more accessible and convenient, particularly for those in underserved and rural areas. TeleHealth is not just about convenience; it’s about saving lives, improving health outcomes, and ensuring everyone has access to the care they need regardless of location.

If you’re interested in exploring telehealth services, ask your healthcare provider if this convenient option is available within your network.