Healthcare in rural areas, are impacted a lot by location. Down the road, I think you will be seeing something like skype being a critical tool for the future. It already is in my facility. I think access to medications will be large as well, with the hope that the online ordering will pick up the need for patients. In a dreamworld, the government would down the costs of these meds, but alas that is not reality.
What a great timely topic. I also work in rural hospitals. Most of those I work with have a rotating specialty schedule that is published, for example Dr ____ cardiologist is here the 2nd Monday and Tuesday of every month, oncology every 4th Thursday, etc. Also, follow up and “up keep” appointments could be made by using technology and telemedicine. Why drive 2-3 hours for a follow up appointment when the cardiologist can receive your EKG and listen to heart tones in real time, and talk to you on a monitor? I have also worked in hospitals that do not seek JACHO certified due to the cost. Is the care safe and excellent, absolutely. Swing bed is an avenue for good revenue for small critical access hospitals. Also, a great way to “advertise” is to have free health education talks about blood pressure, diabetes, etc. And hand out pamphlets and pens for your facility and briefly cover what is available to them locally. You did a great job and I hope that your hospital will “stay alive.” This is an excellent topic and one that I hope to do more work on in the future as well. I hope that your project will help benefit your hospital.
Had to redo this to get the sound on it. Thanks
Healthcare in rural areas, are impacted a lot by location. Down the road, I think you will be seeing something like skype being a critical tool for the future. It already is in my facility. I think access to medications will be large as well, with the hope that the online ordering will pick up the need for patients. In a dreamworld, the government would down the costs of these meds, but alas that is not reality.
What a great timely topic. I also work in rural hospitals. Most of those I work with have a rotating specialty schedule that is published, for example Dr ____ cardiologist is here the 2nd Monday and Tuesday of every month, oncology every 4th Thursday, etc. Also, follow up and “up keep” appointments could be made by using technology and telemedicine. Why drive 2-3 hours for a follow up appointment when the cardiologist can receive your EKG and listen to heart tones in real time, and talk to you on a monitor? I have also worked in hospitals that do not seek JACHO certified due to the cost. Is the care safe and excellent, absolutely. Swing bed is an avenue for good revenue for small critical access hospitals. Also, a great way to “advertise” is to have free health education talks about blood pressure, diabetes, etc. And hand out pamphlets and pens for your facility and briefly cover what is available to them locally. You did a great job and I hope that your hospital will “stay alive.” This is an excellent topic and one that I hope to do more work on in the future as well. I hope that your project will help benefit your hospital.