How can HIT be used to engage patients in travel medicine services?

2 How to use HIT to engage patients before travel?

Using HIT to engage patients in travel medicine services can be done through pre-travel consultations. These individualized sessions assess travelers' health risks, educate them about potential health hazards and preventive strategies, and administer any necessary vaccinations or prescriptions. HIT platforms that can be used include telehealth services that connect travelers with travel medicine experts, mobile apps or websites offering up-to-date information and resources, and EHRs or patient portals allowing travelers to view and update their health records. Notifications and reminders from providers can also be sent through these platforms. Pre-travel consultations can help travelers be better prepared for their trips.

3 How to use HIT to engage patients during travel?

HIT can help travelers cope with health challenges while abroad by providing them with telehealth services, mobile apps or websites with location-based information, wearable devices or self-reporting tools to track and record vital signs, and mHealth interventions that deliver behavioral or motivational messages. These services enable travelers to contact their providers or local health professionals for diagnosis, treatment, or referral, as well as to access nearby clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, or emergency numbers. Additionally, travelers can share vital signs with their providers or health authorities if needed and receive tips, feedback, or rewards to encourage them to follow preventive measures or healthy behaviors.

4 How to use HIT to engage patients after travel?

The final way to use HIT to engage patients in travel medicine services is to provide them with post-travel follow-ups. These follow-ups are essential for evaluating travelers' health status, identifying potential infections or complications, and providing necessary treatment or referrals. HIT tools, such as telehealth services, mobile apps or websites, EHRs or patient portals, and wearable devices or self-reporting tools, can be used to facilitate post-travel follow-ups. For example, telehealth services allow travelers to consult with their providers or travel medicine specialists and receive prescriptions or referrals if needed. Mobile apps or websites enable travelers to complete post-travel surveys or assessments and receive feedback based on their responses. EHRs or patient portals allow travelers to update their health records, immunization history, medications, or other relevant information and receive alerts from their providers. Wearable devices or self-reporting tools enable travelers to monitor and report any changes in their health status or symptoms and alert health authorities if needed.

5 What are the benefits and challenges of using HIT for travel medicine?

Using HIT for travel medicine can offer several benefits to travelers and healthcare providers, such as increasing travelers' awareness of health risks and preventive measures, improving access to travel medicine services, enhancing travelers' satisfaction and engagement in their own care, and improving healthcare providers' efficiency in care delivery. However, using HIT for travel medicine also poses some challenges and limitations, such as ensuring the reliability of information provided by various HIT platforms, protecting the privacy of travelers' health data, addressing technical and legal barriers that may affect availability and acceptability of HIT for travel medicine, and evaluating the effectiveness of HIT interventions for travel medicine.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?