We are conscious that the Covid-19 pandemic will permanently affect the way we understand telehealth. Communication skills will be more important than ever for healthcare professionals forced to interact with their patients remotely. Also, the development of new technology will have to be monitored carefully, so as to ensure that the resources we have are fair, accessible to all and are not the means by which new disparities are created.

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For this reason, the HRLab collaborates with the efforts promoted by the pEACH committee, within EACH-International Association for Communication in Healthcare, to promote and develop a new agenda for healthcare:

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The increased use of technology in healthcare is likely here to stay, but requires rethinking our models of care:

• appropriate reimbursement / remuneration schemes for healthcare professionals

• appropriate training for healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers

• providing underserved and vulnerable populations with the technological means to access telemedicine

• rethinking the technological platforms healthcare facilities are using to allow for sharing data and allow clinical continuity

• imposing the respect of ethical principles to developers and technology designers for healthcare

• moving the development of technology for health away from a business-oriented model

• introducing obligatory clinicians training in effective communication skills for telehealth

• allocate funds for empirical research aimed at understanding what kind of telemedicine is appropriate for what kind of patients, under which circumstances