New Simulations Prepare Clinicians to Build Patient Relationships in a Telehealth World
In response to the increasing need for remote care delivery, Kognito, a leading simulation company, has launched a suite of evidence-based telehealth encounter training simulations to help clinicians effectively manage behavioral healthcare visits conducted remotely.
Telehealth visits have increased substantially due to COVID-19 precautions and are fast becoming an essential format for care delivery. Four out of five physicians in the U.S. have conducted a virtual patient consult during the pandemic. Yet among those who have not, the top reason cited was fear of diminished quality of care. As providers untangle reimbursement, technology, and administrative requirements for delivering remote care, they must also develop the skills necessary to provide quality telehealth visits.
Kognito’s new Telehealth Encounters suite helps ensure consistent quality of behavioral healthcare, whether connecting with patients remotely or in-person. In the dynamic virtual simulations, providers learn best practices for improving “screenside manner” through telehealth-based role-play conversations with virtual patients.
Peer Assistance Services, Inc. (PAS) in Colorado will be among the first to make Kognito’s telehealth simulations available to providers. PAS has partnered with Kognito to provide training in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) methods since 2016. It is adding the Telehealth Encounters suite to its provider training offerings to support the rise in telehealth visits across the state.
“We’ve seen many healthcare organizations in Colorado rapidly transition to telehealth within the last year. The conversations providers have with their patients can make such a difference in everything from the patient relationship to patient outcomes, and it’s so important that providers know how to use the right communication skills in the remote environment that is now their new normal,” says Bethany Pace-Danley, Program Manager of SBIRT in Colorado. “We’re excited to add telehealth scenarios to our trainings to help providers build the skills they need now.”
“At Kognito, we strongly believe in the power of conversation. Now that many patient conversations are happening remotely, we felt it was important to expand our simulations to meet the needs of today and ensure that healthcare professionals have the specific skills to provide the best remote care possible,” says Ron Goldman, Co-Founder and Chief Simulation Strategist at Kognito.
Kognito’s Telehealth Encounters suite currently addresses behavioral health and is designed to help current and future professionals across nursing, social work, and medicine. The company plans to grow its telehealth offerings to include patient encounters covering chronic disease and medication adherence.