Among its strategies: a partnership that connects Fast Pace patients in crisis with a licensed clinical social worker or behavioral health therapist, using Apple iPad devices and Lenovo notebooks, in as little as 15 minutes.
The virtual consultations are as effective as in-person treatment, the American Psychiatric Association says. And they also can identify and alleviate other health issues that might go unaddressed, a potential means to reduce readmissions.
READ MORE: Discover what experts are saying about collaboration in healthcare.
Collaboration Tools Allow for Smarter Work
Collaboration tools also hold major potential for care teams and leadership, says Jason James, who helped implement a BYOD policy as the CIO of Optima Healthcare Services (the company, which provides Software as a Service to outpatient practices, was acquired by Net Health in July).
“We have video chats, we share files in real time — we are no longer tied to just email,” James said earlier this year in a speech at CDW’s Future of Work SummIT. “So, no matter where someone works, they can still do their job not only securely, but also effectively.”
A similar notion guided Vidant Health of eastern North Carolina to adopt videoconferencing for its monthly tumor board meetings that once required some physicians to drive for hours to attend. It proved so popular among Vidant providers that the company changed its plans for a phased expansion of the technology and conducted a larger, faster-paced rollout to meet the demand from users.
And at CHRISTUS, a health system that operates hundreds of facilities across the Southern U.S. and South America, the deployment of virtual desktop infrastructure provides safe, secure access to key apps and desktop images — simplicity that helps staffers access data from a range of devices, regardless of their location.
Healthcare teams must think beyond the walls of a clinic or hospital to truly leverage the power of collaboration. When the right technology is involved, no distance is too far.
