Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is TSIM?
TSIM is a guiding framework to help support the successful development, implementation and sustainability of telehealth services. It provides a roadmap and terminology to boost clinical and technical collaboration required to successfully design high quality, highly reliable telehealth services that are integrated into the traditional care delivery system.
Who is TSIM for?
TSIM is intended for telehealth leaders and teams that are responsible for their organization’s digital transformation efforts. TSIM helps leaders simplify and deliver this complex process.
Why is TSIM needed?
Organizations have struggled for decades with developing, implementing and managing telehealth services. Many of the challenges that impaired the success of early telehealth pioneers are still inhibiting leaders today. As investments in telehealth technologies continue to hit all-time record highs, TSIM is an investment in the people who are charged with developing and implementing the successful telehealth services that will transform care delivery.
How is TSIM different from other telehealth options?
There are a variety of materials available, many at no cost, to initiate a telehealth journey. These materials tend to be high level or theoretical in nature. What the field is missing is a comprehensive ‘how to’ guide that walks users through key steps in a practical and detailed manner. Developed by thought leaders in the field, TSIM is a comprehensive start to finish guidebook that will help telehealth ideas become reality.
How does TSIM help providers utilize existing telehealth tools available to them?
Many health systems now find providers who are freshly seeking to take advantage of the telehealth tools available to them, but not are equipped to balance the nuances of altered workflow, align resource and assess the financial impacts of a service model that may very well scale rapidly. TSIM provides a structured environment to work with innovative providers with the context of the needs of the health system.
How does TSIM help guide the transition of team members to telehealth services?
With the advent of large scale telehealth use, many healthcare support positions are transitioning their roles or find themselves with a new position altogether. TSIM provides clarity on what needs to be done to support telehealth services and how roles of team members can be assigned for maximum synergy across the available personnel resources.
How does TSIM make a health system more competitive in the telehealth landscape?
A health systems desire to compete, or at least keep pace, with a care delivery landscape that is increasing relying on virtual communications can quickly lead to a pressured search for the right use cases, akin to a hammer searching for a nail. By emphasizing strategy before deployment, TSIM provides the context for a conversation about solving an inefficiency in healthcare delivery prior to choosing a telehealth modality.
We have identified a telehealth vendor, what is the next step?
TSIM is not a telehealth vendor and advises that starting with technology first is typically a mistake. Strategy is the most important phase in TSIM as it guides all future decisions, including technology choices.
If my organization is unable to invest in a Telehealth Center or dedicated staff, how can TSIM help?
TSIM considers approaches relevant to small, medium, and large telehealth programs and guides users with regards to when to capitalize on existing organizational resources and when a dedicated telehealth resource becomes a necessity.