How important is hands-on training?
Hands-on training is critical to the success of the program. Telemedicine coordinators, clinical presenters, and clinicians at the patient and provider sites need multiple opportunities to use and become comfortable with the equipment. They need to have experienced telemedicine staff observe and coach them to ensure that they are proficient in the use of the equipment during a patient visit. Experience has shown that regular practice sessions, especially in situations where staff sporadically uses the equipment, are highly advisable. More specifically, if there is a gap between training and program initiation or if the volume of telemedicine visits is low, opportunities should be created to regularly use the equipment including: • Practice making calls. • Practice attaching a variety of peripherals to the equipment. • Practice switching to different cameras or peripherals. • Practice using the various capabilities of the system.
