Telehealth Start-Up and Resource Guide

This start-up and resource guide was created in partnership between Telligen and gpTRAC, the Great Plains Telehealth Resource and Assistance Center. It is intended to provide an overview and framework for implementing telehealth in critical access hospitals and rural areas. It is also intended to point the reader to reliable and informative resources for learning about telehealth and the organizations that support the use of telehealth in various ways.

With many excellent organizations and resources available, we envisioned this guide as a starting point and way of directing the reader to the appropriate resource for his/her specific purpose. It could be used as a reference for new efforts, ongoing telehealth programs, or even included in orientation for new staff. It is the hope of Telligen and gpTRAC that this guide will especially assist those considering starting up a telehealth program in their facilities. Substantial research went into the development of this guidebook. Numerous resources are highlighted, including the American Telemedicine Association, gpTRAC, the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law, the California Telehealth Resource Center (CTRC), who we would like to thank for their permission to use many of their toolkits and best practices in this guide. We would also like to thank staff members interviewed at several facilities in Iowa and Colorado who helped identify barriers and successes encountered in their journey of implementing telehealth. The following facilities were interviewed:

• Clarke County Hospital, Osceola, Iowa
• Yuma District Hospital, Yuma, Colorado
• Centura Health, Denver, Colorado
• Colorado Access, Denver, Colorado

The information and links in this guide are current as of the date of its publication. As with many other health and technology related topics, information and resources are constantly changing and evolving. It is possible that some resources will be updated or moved from the location specified in the links provided. However, we expect that most resources can still be located by contacting the organization associated with specific resource, should the information associated with the link not appear when clicked.