Is there potential for increased use of Telehealth in Inpatient setting?

[psyspy]

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[Zyprexa100]

There are certain companies that uses it like Forefront.

 

[Sushirolls]

Yes. Some places are allowing their existing on staff docs to do it because of covid era spill over, or because that's how they can get their staffing taken care of.

I know of one doc who was assaulted on unit, and through gossip circles, continues to use telemedicine platform because of the assault. But I suspect for this doc, its more about efficiency, and they really like forcing the inpatient unit to have their nursing staff line up the patients. The don't have to walk the unit and chase things down, the burden is now on them. Plus this person also had 2-3 other jobs, which I suspect allows them to better juggle the demands in between patients.

 

[comp1]

It requires a lot more infrastructure than outpatient, but it's doable and it's going to eventually be expected by most employees. Ultimately we have to build more rooms with secured telehealth equipment behind plexiglass to avoid having to have nurses involved extensively. Right now, we're mostly doing it on call.

 

[Monocles]

Yup. It's actually super simple and easy. You just designate one room on the unit with an ipad/zoom setup and send patients in through a queue, guided by nursing staff.

 

[psyspy]

What about the nursing staff? Is their well being undermined relatively more if the psychiatrist stays home?

 

[forchinet121]

What about the nursing staff? Is their well being undermined relatively more if the psychiatrist stays home?

No?

 

[allantois]

No?

It is more work for them as they are usually the ones who have to set this up/call patients into the room. The facility I worked at did this as well, otherwise, they would not be staffed as most psychiatrists used to drive from 2+ hours away

 

[comp1]

It IS more work for nurses unless the hospital has brought in specific telehealth facilitators. Someone has to hand out the iPad and someone has to literally hold or direct the iPad for a psychotic or otherwise unengageable patient. Patients who do great with telehealth often don't overlap well with who insurance companies think is benefitting from an inpatient level of care. That said, with the right infrastructure, it definitely can be done well and will be done a lot more often.