How to Make the Most of Telehealth & Digital Tools in Support Coordination

Support coordination is built on connection. Families, support coordinators, providers, and other members of a loved one’s support team all need opportunities to share information, ask questions, and work toward the same goals.

Telehealth and other digital tools have created more ways for those conversations to happen. Virtual appointments can make it easier to connect with healthcare providers, therapists and other professionals, while video meetings give families another way to stay in touch with their support coordinator. Online portals, shared calendars, and digital records can also help keep important information organized and accessible.

For families, these tools can offer greater flexibility while helping everyone involved in a loved one’s support system stay connected. The key is knowing how to use telehealth and technology in ways that complement the personal relationships at the heart of good support coordination.

Here are a few ways to make the most of them.

Make Telehealth Part of a Connected Support Team

Telehealth can make it easier to bring the right people together around your loved one’s needs. Virtual meetings can give families, support coordinators, providers, therapists, and other professionals an opportunity to join the same conversation, even when meeting in person isn’t practical.

Having everyone connected can make it easier to share updates, discuss changes, and make sure the team has a clear understanding of your loved one’s current needs and goals. Your support coordinator can be part of these conversations, helping connect what is discussed during a virtual meeting to your loved one’s services and overall plan.

To make the most of a telehealth meeting, think ahead about any questions, recent changes, or concerns you want to discuss. Taking notes on recommendations and next steps can also help everyone leave the conversation with a shared understanding of what comes next.

RELATED: How Trusted Support Coordination Can Prevent Service Gaps for Your Family

Use Virtual Meetings to Make Staying Connected Easier

Telehealth isn’t the only way virtual communication can help your family. Video meetings can also provide a convenient way to connect with your support coordinator between in-person conversations.

A virtual check-in can be useful for discussing services, asking questions, or sharing updates about how your loved one is progressing toward their goals. It may also make it easier to bring multiple members of the support team together when coordinating everyone’s schedules for an in-person meeting would be difficult.

Used alongside phone calls, email, and face-to-face meetings, virtual communication gives families another way to stay engaged and keep conversations moving.

Keep Telehealth Information and Other Important Records Organized

Telehealth adds another stream of information for families to keep track of, including appointment links, provider notes, recommendations, and follow-up dates.

Consider creating one secure place where you keep the information you refer to most often. Depending on what works for your family, that could include a digital calendar for telehealth and in-person appointments, folders for important documents, or notes from conversations with providers and your support coordinator.

The goal isn’t to use as many digital tools as possible. In fact, simpler is often better. Choose a system that makes sense to you and that you can realistically keep up with.

Share Important Updates Between Appointments

A telehealth appointment or conversation with a provider may reveal something new about your loved one’s needs or progress.

Maybe your loved one has become more comfortable with a new routine, is showing interest in a particular activity, or is having difficulty with something that previously worked well. Keeping simple notes about these changes gives you specific information to bring to future telehealth visits, provider appointments, and conversations with your support coordinator.

When appropriate, sharing relevant updates across the support team can help everyone develop a more complete understanding of what your loved one needs.

RELATED: 3 Tips to Prepare for a Successful Support Coordination Meeting 

Find the Right Mix of Virtual and In-Person Support

Telehealth and digital communication can be incredibly convenient, but they don’t have to replace in-person interaction.

Some conversations may work perfectly well through a virtual meeting. Others may feel more productive face to face. Your loved one may also have their own preferences about how they interact with providers and other members of their support team.

Pay attention to what works best for your family and your loved one. You may find that a combination of telehealth, virtual check-ins, phone calls, and in-person meetings gives you the flexibility you need while maintaining the personal connections that matter.

Talk with your support coordinator about your communication preferences as well. Establishing those expectations can make it easier to determine the best way to connect depending on the situation.

Make Sure Your Loved One is Included

Whether a conversation happens through telehealth, a virtual support coordination meeting, or in person, your loved one should remain at the center of it. Ensure they have opportunities to participate, share their preferences, and talk about what matters to them.

For some individuals, virtual options may even make participation easier. Being able to join an appointment or meeting from a familiar environment may help them feel more comfortable taking part in the conversation.

What matters most is finding an approach that helps your loved one feel heard and included.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help with Technology

Telehealth and digital tools are only helpful when you feel comfortable using them.

If you receive a telehealth link you don’t know how to access, aren’t sure where to find a document, or have trouble joining a virtual meeting, ask for help. You shouldn’t have to be a technology expert to stay involved in your loved one’s support.

It can also help to test unfamiliar technology before an important appointment or meeting. Checking your internet connection, camera, and microphone ahead of time can help you spend less time troubleshooting and more time focused on the conversation.

And when technology simply isn’t working, talk with your provider or support coordinator about another way to connect.

Staying Connected, Wherever You Are

Telehealth and digital tools give families more ways to communicate, stay organized and keep the people involved in their loved one’s support connected. These tools aren’t meant to replace the value of in-person meetings and face-to-face connection. Instead, they provide additional ways to stay in touch, share important updates and keep communication moving between meetings.

Want a support coordination team that makes it easier to stay informed and connected? Contact Skylands today.