WHO Releases Guide to Enhance Delivery of Telehealth Services

A recent guide issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) provided a set of recommendations and strategies for future telehealth implementation, ultimately aiming to advance telehealth use.

Amid the elimination of in-person care restrictions added during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare stakeholders believe telehealth will remain an integral part of the new normal.

Although these services have generally been efficient and accessible, the WHO noted that there is room for improvement and that future optimization is necessary to maintain telehealth use. This led the organization to create a consolidated guide designed to support the process of telehealth implementation among WHO Member States.

"For telemedicine to have the most impact when and where it is needed, the enabling environment is critical. Investments in national policies, governance, and standards are important to have in place," said Professor Alain Labrique, director of the Department of Digital Health and Innovation at WHO, in a press release. "This Guide is not a stand-alone solution, but rather a complementary tool that works in tandem with user-centered solutions that are accessible by all, towards delivering high-quality remote care that is accountable and suitable to the context in which patients live." 

WHO also noted that the resource supplements the WHO Digital Investment Implementation Guide, which provides a systematic process for planning and implementing digital health interventions.

The guide divides recommended strategies into three phases: situational assessment, planning the implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Some recommendations include conducting a landscape analysis, investing in patient engagement and health equity efforts, and determining evaluation goals. 

The guide has been developed as an evolving document combining learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and key considerations from previous WHO resources.

The press release further notes that digital health and telemedicine have especially helped address barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services in recent years. As a result, the WHO's Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research contributed to the development of the guide.

“Telemedicine is an important tool that expands access to critically needed sexual and reproductive health services – but we need to be mindful of the inherent inequities where access to the technology is limited or where there is the potential for harm. This Guide aims to support countries to deliver telemedicine services, while highlighting approaches to optimize and improve health for all,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey, director of the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and HRP (the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction), in the press release.

Telehealth has remained popular amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and governments worldwide are working to ensure that virtual care delivery is accessible and effective.

In the US, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged Medicaid programs to study the impact of telehealth use among its beneficiaries. The GAO provided two recommendations, which included collecting information on the quality of telehealth that Medicaid beneficiaries receive, followed by taking necessary steps to enhance virtual care.