Telehealth Workflow and Human Factors Shortcomings Can Cause Poor Outcomes

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Telehealth programs proved their value during the COVID-19 pandemic: The ability to provide patient care remotely—through the use of communications platforms and other technologies—allowed for the continued delivery of many kinds of patient care. However, some facilities and caregivers are now feeling the strain of using programs that were rapidly implemented during a crisis, without time for full consideration of workflow issues and human factors concerns.

As facilities seek to optimize telehealth care-delivery models for the long term, they must address factors that could lead to poor outcomes, both for patients (e.g., misdiagnoses, delays in care) and for providers (e.g., cognitive overload, clinician burnout).

Factors to...