Directors of Telehealth

High School

Recommended classes include health, business management, computer science, mathematics, speech, English, writing, and social studies.

Postsecondary Education

Educational requirements for directors of telehealth vary by employer. Some companies hire directors with only a bachelor’s degree in a medical clinical area, health care management, public health, business management, or information technology management, while others prefer directors to have master’s degrees. Other employers—especially hospitals—prefer directors who have medical degrees, plus training or a lower-level degree in health care management.

Certification

A growing number of colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs in telehealth. For example, the University of Delaware offers a 15-week, advanced telehealth coordinator certificate program (https://www.pcs.udel.edu/telehealth). Course sessions include:

• The Advanced Telehealth Coordinator: Tying It All Together
• eICU and Telehealth Resources
• Funding and Reimbursement
• Introduction to Telehealth
• Introduction to Telehealth Program Management
• More Successful Uses of Telehealth; Telehealth Program Planning
• Operational Considerations
• Policies that Impact Telehealth
• Quality, Outcomes and Data Collection
• Starting a Chronic Diseases Telehealth Clinic and Unique Applications
• Telehealth in the Home and Remote Patient Monitoring
• Telemental Health and Ethics

Contact postsecondary institutions in your area to see what types of programs are available.

Other Education or Training

The American Telemedicine Association offers webinars such as Telemedicine in the International Community and Sustainable Hybrid Models for TeleRehabilitation. Webinars offered by the National Consortium for Telehealth Resource Centers include Possible Futures: Telehealth During and After the Pandemic, Telehealth Policy Update, and Telehealth Implementation: A Guide and Case Study for Critical Access Hospitals. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society offers webinars such as Population Health through Telehealth: Industry Trends and Career Opportunities; Telehealth Project Management: Unique Challenges and Critical Success Factors; and Providing Quality Telehealth Care.