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Research Outline

Prepared for Molly M. | Delivered May 28, 2020

Use of Zoom in Telehealth

Goals

To understand the reason why Zoom is the preferred platform for healthcare providers for telehealth purposes and what they look for in a telehealth platform.

Early Findings

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing has become the new normal. Healthcare proVIDERS (HCP) are also keeping up with this trend by ensuring that they can offer as many healthcare services as possible, but virtually.
  • According to the American Hospital Association, “76% of U.S. hospitals now use some form of virtual care to connect with patients and consulting practitioners at a distance using live audio and video, in addition to other technology.”
  • Choosing the right telehealth platform plays a significant role in ensuring that quality healthcare services are provided and conveniently.
  • Some factors to consider when choosing the right telehealth platform include integration, user-friendly design, specialty care solution, data analytics, and configuration, and customization. Zoom combines these and more features, making it the preferred platform for healthcare professionals.
  • Zoom is the “first in the market to offer mobile screen sharing with video conferences.” With this feature, users of the platform can “share their mobile screen, share video with audio, and co-annotate from any device.” This feature makes it possible for healthcare professionals to share information among themselves and with their patients.
  • Healthcare professionals also prefer the Zoom platform due to its compatibility with various operating systems, including “Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Blackberry, H.323/SIP systems, and its own software-based conference room system, Zoom Rooms.”
  • When attending to a patient via a telehealth platform, there is a possibility of patients not understating or forgetting what their healthcare givers said. With Zoom, patients can record their sessions in MP4 format for later reference. This feature eliminates the possibility of having patients request for additional telehealth appointment after forgetting any detail, hence ensuring that HCP can virtually attend to as many patients as possible. With this feature, healthcare professionals can record any medical-related information that they share among themselves.
  • Healthcare professionals need to consult with other staff and clinicians in private when offering telehealthcare, just like they would do if a patient visited their medical facility. Zoom offers a feature where HCP can put their attendees on hold for private consultation with other medical staff.
  • Zoom also provides features that “support for multiple camera inputs allowing medical professionals to share peripheral camera feeds.” The platform’s precise audio enables original microphone sound, a feature that IS perfect for digital stethoscopes.