Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2020
Abstract
Disruption of elective surgeries per statewide COVID-19 health directives to shut down services was the catalyst for TeleHealth Implementation at the midwest hospital’s surgical services. Following the COVID-19 health directives to cease elective surgical services, the midwest hospital surgical services canceled all the new patient appointments, established appointments, and post-operative appointments leaving patients hopeless when it came to their surgical needs. The proposal of TeleHealth was introduced as an option to bride the gap experienced by the patients. The nurse’s role in the TeleHealth implementation incorporated MyChart utilization, EPIC utilization, and serve as an educator and resource to physicians, medical staff, and patients. A literature review showed that more than 60% of all health care organizations currently use some form of TeleHealth (Tuckson, Edmunds, & Hodgkins, 2017). The purpose of this project is to educate physicians and medical staff on the implementation of TeleHealth. Furthermore, enhancement of patients’ MyChart and EPIC (EHR) utilization would improve care quality and access to care outside of the doctor’s office. The population consisted of surgical patients without a specific cap of age; therefore, any age group has access to TeleHealth. The implementation consisted of two teams (the tech team and rooming team) enabling smooth TeleHealth workflow. This project aligned with the midwest hospital’s mission and core values by enhancing service that provides excellent patient experience and accurate clinical experience during the pandemic.
