| Stakeholders’ suggestions to improve TM services |
| Need for proper information-education-communication (IEC) through frontline workers and the promotion of TM in the community |
Need for extensive IEC campaigns on TM services and its benefit through frontline workers. Integrating different mediums like local radios, skits, newspapers, and social media to disseminate information and enable penetration into the community. Repetition of advertisement at regular intervals. |
| Strengthening the logistics of the TM department for long-term sustainability |
Adopting a dedicated, medico-legal-compliant software platform with mechanisms for detailed recordkeeping. Installing high-definition equipment and camera. Ensuring availability of an internet network with high bandwidth and uninterrupted electricity. Adapting International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for monitoring and reporting of diseases. Practising appointment-based consultation only for better management of consultation time. Involving a minimum number of intermediaries in the system to avoid data leakage. Implementing a paid service of TM to avoid prank callers. |
| Capacity building of the existing staff |
Improving awareness and training of staff and frontline workers on TM services. Mechanisms of supportive supervision and handholding at regular intervals. Orient doctors and other staff of TM centres about the context of that community. |
| Setting up a dedicated TM department at the hospitals |
Setting up a dedicated TM department with dedicated and qualified TM staff. Setting a system to follow up with patients regarding the availability of medicine, and completion of the treatment course. Providing an assistant to the doctors to help them in the processes and coordination. |
| Increase availability of TM consultation appointments |
Making TM services available every day to improve its service reach. Assigning fixed time slots for each patient and informing them in advance. |
| Setting up a remote satellite centre at the village level |
Setting up a dedicated TM department with dedicated and qualified TM staff. Setting a system to follow up with patients regarding the availability of medicine, and completion of the treatment course. Providing an assistant to the doctors to help them in the processes and coordination. |
| Reduce gaps in communication between the doctor and the patients for better consultation |
Clear instruction and guidance to the patient who calls for the service, so that s/he does not face any difficulty in adopting the new technology. Explanations be done in simple language so that it is understandable by all alternative numbers besides video calls only through one platform should be made available. |
| Availability and procurement of prescribed medicines |
Ensuring that prescribed medicines are available locally. Provisions for a triaging facility for patients who come for a check-up after teleconsultation. |
