A fresh digital health strategy took centre stage at the Health Service Executive (HSE) ‘Better Together for Digital Healthcare’ conference on December 1, 2023.
Named the ‘HSE Telehealth Roadmap 2024-2027: Building Blocks for the Embedding & Expansion of Telehealth,’ this initiative aims to revolutionize healthcare delivery across the Republic of Ireland. Loretto Grogan, HSE National Chief Nursing and Midwifery Information Officer, emphasized the pandemic’s digital push, emphasizing the need to capitalize on this momentum for digitization. The goal is to create secure, efficient, and connected services that enhance outcomes, safety, and experiences for healthcare users.
Telehealth, the cornerstone of this plan, holds potential benefits like reduced travel time, costs, and emissions through remote consultations. It’s envisioned to enable timely interventions, curb hospital admissions and foster early discharges via remote monitoring with wearable tech. Grogan highlighted the roadmap’s strategic nature, underlining its pivotal role in laying a strong foundation for Ireland’s telehealth landscape. The plan aims for safe, effective, and scalable telehealth services, striving for increased accessibility through remote consultations, thereby minimizing the necessity for physical appointments.
Moreover, the roadmap targets innovative tech that allows healthcare teams to monitor patients’ health remotely, aiming to cut hospital stays. It also includes online support and therapies provided by trusted healthcare partners from the comfort of patients’ homes.
The conference echoed the significance of digitally empowering the healthcare workforce. Professor Richard Greene, HSE’s Chief Clinical Information Officer, stressed the need for integrated workflows and standardized practices. Greene emphasized that while technology is vital, it’s only one part of the equation. The focus should be on integrating these tools effectively for the benefit of both patients and healthcare providers, enhancing care while acknowledging patients’ and caregivers’ needs.
