Telehealth is the application of internet and telecommunications to medicine. The College of Community Health Sciences currently uses telehealth in the provision of psychiatric and mental health care.

CCHS is also exploring the many avenues telehealth provides:

• Providers and patients can use voice and video conferencing for the purposes of consulting and conducting remote medical examinations or consultations.
• Patients can asynchronously interact with providers through a browser or app. These tools can be convenient in circumstances that are generally straightforward and/or where distance or time are limiting factors.
• Some patients need continuous monitoring for a certain condition or circumstance (congestive heart failure, diabetes, recent hospitalization, etc.). Devices are being developed that allow patients to live as they normally would. If pre-determined thresholds are exceeded, the device would notify their physician, who can then respond immediately with minimal inconvenience to the patient.

For rural populations and patients who are physically or financially unable to travel long distances, telehealth is key to improving access to care for Alabama’s residents.