#62 - Is Telemedicine Right For My Concussion Care Practice?

In the last flash briefing, we covered pros and cons of telemedicine. While there are a lot of clear benefits of using telemedicine, there are some other considerations involved when determining if telemedicine is a good fit for your concussion care practice.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I comfortable with performing my concussion evaluation or follow up of the patient using telemedicine?
   • It’s important that the healthcare provider conducting telemedicine visits be comfortable using the technology and carrying out the visit. If this is not you, is there someone on your team who could meet this requirement?
2. What parts of my concussion evaluation and follow up can be done or can’t be done via telemedicine?
   • For example, can telemedicine be used for new patient appointments, follow up with established patients, or both?
3. Is telemedicine appropriate for my concussion patient?
   • Telemedicine will be more appropriate for some patients than others. Some considerations will include access to technology, risk of injury due to significant deficits, and need for supervision by a parent or caretaker.
4. Have policies and procedures been put in place for dealing with disruptions and impediments to my telemedicine appointment?
   • For example, what will you do if there’s a technical issue that results in an appointment cancellation?
5. What kind of technology will you need to conduct concussion care via telemedicine?
   • Some technical considerations include bandwidth, internet speed & connectivity, and appropriate devices.

Learn more in this webinar replay: Leveraging Telemedicine for Concussion Care.