Making it Work : Recruit and Retain Resource Pack

How to Implement

Success Factors

"Telemedicine improves access to care not otherwise available in rural settings. Previous studies have found that telemedicine also has positive effects on the work environment, suggesting that telemedicine may improve rural physician recruitment and retention, although few have specifically examined this. Dolea et al. identified telehealth technology as a possibly effective retention strategy in their global review of recruitment and retention of rural healthcare professional. The telemedicine literature indirectly suggests that tele-emergency services may improve the workplace for rural clinicians.

Telemedicine and the implementation of digital technologies can;

• Reduce professional isolation and workload
• Facilitate distance learning
• Avoid patient transfer
• Facilitate professional networking and establishment of professional relationships

Telehealth is also perceived to decrease workload, by allowing on-call duties to be done from home or shared on a regional basis. This allows the coverage of specialties to be shared by specialists from several hospitals rather than those of a single hospital.

telehealth could support the organization of joint training programs between several rural and remote locations. Such programs could also give exposure to the regions and their medical teams.

Challenges

Tele-emergency may adversely affect the relationship between the local caregiver and patient, as they may not have complete trust/confidence in the caregiver. Assuming sole responsibility for the full spectrum of care required by community members can be professionally and personally taxing. Tele-emergency helped relieve pressure for some rural physicians. Many used the phrase ‘second pair of eyes’ to describe their relationship with the emergency medicine specialists in the hub.

• The cost of the technology can be a significant factor, particularly for smaller centres.
• Could give the image of a poorly equipped hospital.
• Risk of malpractice.
• Insurance companies – will they cover the cost of the consult via telemedicine.
• Regulations, guidelines and legislation.
• You can’t get a physical exam (if required) so may not suit all