Telehealth has already been a 'game-changer' for CHS
Hello, world. Meet Zoom.
That seemed to be how the majority of the planet reacted, when they took their meetings online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, accomplishing tasks that were once previously completed in person.
The University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences is no different; CHS has transitioned many of its clinical operations into telehealth formatting to further enforce faculty, staff and patient safety amidst the pandemic.
However, the utilization of telehealth had been circulating among those in CHS a full five years prior to the pandemic, resulting in it becoming the first of many to offer a Graduate Certificate in Telehealth for its students’ in summer 2020.
At that time, many clinics were not yet incorporating virtual health care options into daily operations; this has since changed drastically over the past year.
“In short, we became leaders in telehealth long before the current pandemic, because we saw the value in high-quality telehealth services to reach people who are underserved for various reasons,” said Janice Kuperstein, PhD, PT, MSEd, professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean for clinical engagement in the College of Health Sciences. “Whether it is because of the very real problem of inadequate supply of appropriate providers in the area or because of transportation challenges or other complexities ofa family’s reality, telehealth services may serve as a way to meet critical needs. The Graduate Certificate in Telehealth is a way for us to help prepare interprofessional teams in best practices.”
Joneen Lowman, Ph.D., associate professor in communication sciences and disorders in CHS, has been a leader in telehealth for many years, long before the exponential growth due to the current pandemic. She recognized the need to expand availability of speech language services to underserved areas, whether rural, urban, or suburban because these services are literally vital for individuals’ health, development and well-being.
“She also recognized that providing high-quality services depends on far more than simply the technology, but rather on the knowledge and skills of the providers,” Kuperstein said. “Toward that end, she received a Department of Education grant in 2015 to prepare speech-language pathologists to deliver services using this platform. Through this grant, the CSD Department has prepared eight graduates per year who have gone on to competently provide telehealth services in their own practices and communities.”
Lowman and her team recognized the need to prepare other professionals in evidence-based telehealth practices — to create interprofessional teams of providers who could effectively meet the needs of the people of the Commonwealth and beyond.
“Part of what we were able to do was establish the right ways to teach it,” Lowman said. “There weren’t a lot of people who believed in it. Now, it seems everyone wants to do it because it’s so easy. Well, it’s not easy. To do this correctly, you have to study harder. You have to work harder. You have to learn more.”
Last summer, the launching of the Graduate Certificate in Telehealth happened to coincide with the exponential increase in telehealth delivery, and Lowman was able to help; she shared her expertise with various health professional groups as their members implemented telehealth on an emergency basis.
“During the current public health emergency, we have all learned the benefits of telehealth, when appropriate, to meet the health care needs of society,” Kuperstein said. “I am proud that we are in a position to offer best-practice preparation through the Telehealth Certificate, so that our graduates will offer the highest quality care to current and future patients.”
The UK Voice & Swallow Clinic, which provides care related to voice disorders, resonance, breathing, swallowing as well as head and neck cancers, remained open amidst the pandemic through telehealth. Despite a majority of its practices relying on hands-on, in-person health care, this opportunity allowed them to begin utilizing teletherapy to treat patients both near and far while lowering the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
“We serve a lot of patients from all over the state, and with teletherapy they no longer need to travel to Lexington for their sessions,” said Lauren Shnowske, MS, CF-SLP, a clinical fellow. “This was a game-changer for them.”
UK Pediatric Therapies at Child Development Center of the Bluegrass (CDCB) is a clinical service within UK CHS that offers pediatric occupational, physical and speech therapies.
Similar to the Voice & Swallow Clinic, CDCB quickly adapted to provide telehealth services to its patients.
“We serve many children that live in rural areas that are far from our clinic,” said Angela Folczyk, OT, therapy director at CDCB. “So, when the pandemic hit, we worked diligently to create and adopt an efficient telehealth model that ensured continuity of care for our patients statewide.”
UK Pediatric Therapies provider Nicole Hoskins, OT, says she was able to receive a more in-depth view of her patients’ home lives through the utilization of telehealth, which further helped her to meet their needs. Additionally, she says this method of health care has helped to empower her patients’ families and has resulted in them becoming more involved in their child’s therapy.
As time passes, and the practice of social distancing continues, both patients and health care providers continue to unravel the many benefits of utilizing telehealth each day.
“Through hard work and sacrifice, our clinics have learned to provide the best care possible during the pandemic,” Lowman said. “In the future, we look forward to teaching more and more providers across the Commonwealth, so we can continue to provide this care for all who need it.”