TSIM introduces online training course for successfully implementing sustainable telehealth services

The Telehealth Service Implementation Model (TSIM) is set to launch a brand-new online training course for telehealth leaders and teams. TSIM originated at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), stemming from the successful and groundbreaking work of its successful telehealth team. The MUSC Health Center for Telehealth is one of only two federally designated National Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the country.

All-encompassing in nature, TSIM’s structured framework facilitates the development, implementation and optimization of telehealth services. The pioneers of this unique model aimed to share their knowledge and telehealth best practices with other organizations worldwide. The Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization (ZI), a component of the MUSC Office of Innovation, lent support for this endeavor. ZI leads the commercialization of the institution’s IP-backed innovations.

TSIM is currently a collaborative effort between MUSC and ZI and prominent industry partners, such as Ignis Health and TSO publishing, with plans to launch in the market soon.

This fully accredited online training course, which officially launches in early May, equips telehealth teams, including administrative, clinical and technical representatives, with the knowledge and confidence to apply the TSIM framework in their own organizations. The course is broken down into 11 topics and follows the best practice framework to take any idea for a telehealth service through development, implementation and long-term sustainability. This systematic approach enables everyone on the team to speak a common language to recognize their strengths, weaknesses and gaps in service development, operations and management.

According to Shawn Valenta, one of the founding members of TSIM at MUSC and the current vice president at Wellpath, “We are extremely excited to launch the TSIM Foundation Course later this year. TSIM is an investment in the people and process of telehealth. We have been using the TSIM framework for over seven years to simplify the complexities of telehealth. TSIM establishes a standard repeatable process for teams to successfully develop, implement and optimize their telehealth services. As telehealth continues to expand, it is now more important than ever for organizations to follow best practice and ensure the delivery of high-quality, highly reliable telehealth services.”

The TSIM accredited training course is self-paced and includes a proctored exam at the end delivered by APMG International, a globally recognized industry accreditation provider. Telehealth teams across a range of health care institutions are already utilizing TSIM and praising it for providing a clear roadmap, enabling them to bring innovation to reality in telehealth practices.

“There are many playbooks for telehealth, but they almost universally are delivered at such a high level that the boots on the ground implementors are left with a basic understanding of categories of tasks without a clear roadmap on how to tackle them,” said James McElligott, executive medical director of the MUSC Health Center for Telehealth. “TSIM changes that with a system that logically and concisely covers the breadth of effort required to transform health care practice over distance with virtual tools. People who study TSIM will feel fully equipped to bring innovation to reality.”

Visit the TSIM website to learn more about the framework, the course and partnership opportunities: https://www.tsimtelehealth.com/foundation-course/

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 900 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $298 million in research funds in fiscal year 2022, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $220 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned and equity stake), with approximately 2,700 beds and four additional hospital locations in development; more than 350 telehealth sites and connectivity to patients’ homes; and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina. In 2022, for the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $5.1 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC family members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.