Nurses and other health care workers who are interested in telehealth can now earn an individual certification, thanks to the American Heart Association.
The Certified Professional by the American Heart Association — Telehealth program is supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Telehealth grew in popularity during the pandemic, when patients were leary of going to their doctor’s office.
“The explosion of telehealth use demonstrates a need for telehealth-centric learning to improve the standard of care,” Andrew Watson, M.D., volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Telehealth Certification Development Workgroup, an American Heart Association Center for Telehealth Expert Panel member and a practicing surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said on the AHA website announcing the certification. “The American Heart Association’s individual telehealth certification is a way for health care professionals to ensure they are providing the highest standard of care in this evolving delivery system.”
According to AHA, telehealth can cut costs while “increasing quality, patient focus and patient satisfaction.” It’s also a growing professional area whose use has stabilized at levels about 38 times higher than before the pandemic.
If you’re interested, the new individual certification is available through the AHA‘s Intelligo Professional Education Hub.
Licensed medical professionals who complete prerequisite telehealth education can go through the certification process, which features:
- high-quality, evidence-based online telehealth education that combines research, hands-on experiences and best practices
- assessment delivery via live remote-proctoring, certification award and renewal via AHA platforms
- personalized certificate award and credentials, which are good for three years
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