School-Based Telehealth Playbook

Comprehensive SBHC + Hybrid Telehealth Model  

A school-based telehealth delivery method where a health center sponsors an SBHC at a fixed location in a school or on a school campus. Students can access in-person, comprehensive care from physically onsite providers and receive specialty care services via telehealth from a distant site. 

Comprehensive SBHC + Telehealth Network Model 

A school-based telehealth delivery method where a health center sponsors an SBHC at a fixed location in a school or on a school campus and provides in-person comprehensive care to students in that school. To expand access, the provider delivers care via telehealth (distant site) to students at other satellite schools (originating sites). An SBHC provider rotates through the satellite schools at regular intervals, delivering in-person preventive care. When the provider is at the satellite schools, they can act as the distant site, delivering telehealth care to the comprehensive SBHC or another satellite school (originating sites). 

Distant Site 

The location of the health care professional providing the service during the telehealth visit. Other common names for this term include – the hub, specialty site, provider/physician site, and referral site. 

IT Staff 

Installs telehealth technology and provides ongoing support for telehealth equipment, software, and internet connectivity as needed. The health system IT staff collaborates closely with the school district IT staff to ensure the telehealth equipment can function on the school district’s network. Additionally, this role must include being available to support equipment troubleshooting during a telehealth encounter. 

Medical/Clinical Director 

Directs the clinical and operational components of the program. This position often serves as the program champion, providing direction and overseeing the strategy and clinical oversight of the SBTH program. The director works closely with the program manager and telehealth coordinator.  

mHealth 

The use of mobile and wireless devices (cell phones, tablets, apps, etc.) to improve health outcomes, health care services, and health research, including user-directed self-care, monitoring, and health education.   

Originating Site 

The location of the person(s) during the telehealth visit. Other common names for this term include – spoke site, patient site, remote site, and rural site.  

Program Coordinator 

Responsible for the day-to-day coordination and the primary telehealth contact for families and schools. Facilitates staff and school nurse training, oversees scheduling, workflow, marketing, and supports enrollment efforts. The coordinator is also responsible for ensuring equipment and connectivity are working at each school site.    

Program Manager 

Manages the operational and administrative components of the telehealth program including—but not limited to--executing agreements with school districts, communicating with school district leaders, facilitating needs assessment, creating policy and procedures, overseeing the budget, creating reports highlighting utilization and enrollment, developing workflows, and managing staff.    

Providers 

Located at a distant site and connects with telepresenter to provide services during the designated hours. Responsible for leading and conducting the actual student interaction as well as directing the actions of those assisting the student. Follows up with the student and/or student’s family with the care plan and sends a note to the student’s primary care provider about the visit.  

Remote Patient Monitoring 

Electronic devices equipped with technology to gather patient data outside of traditional health care settings. Examples include digital scales, glucometers, pulse ox devices, etc., to monitor a patient’s condition while they are at home (or wherever else they may be living). Built-in communication may include medication reminders or sharing of educational materials 

Store and Forward 

Captured audio clips, video clips, still images, or data that are transmitted or received at a later time (sometimes no more than a minute).  

Telehealth 

The use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to provide, promote, and support remote clinical and non-clinical services, such as telemedicine, consultations, patient and professional health-related education, inter-professional care team communications, and other diverse aspects of a health care delivery system. Communication technologies include live video conferencing, telephone, mHealth, remote monitoring, and store and forward imaging.  

Telehealth Exclusive 

A school-based telehealth delivery method where students access care at a fixed location (originating site) on a school campus (typically the school nurse’s office), and providers are available remotely (distant site) for all services.  

Telehealth Network + Rotating Onsite Services 

A school-based telehealth delivery method where a health center does not sponsor a traditional, onsite SBHC. Instead, the health center provides telehealth care to one or more schools, with the health center as the distant site and the school(s) as the originating site(s). The SBTH visits are assigned alongside provider(s)’ health center appointment(s). Health center provider(s) also regularly rotate through the school(s), delivering in-person preventive care. When a provider is onsite at a school (distant site) in a rural area and availability allows, they may deliver care via telehealth to other participating school(s) (originating site(s)).    

Telepresenter 

The extended “eyes and ears” of the health professional at the other end of the telehealth visit. Supports the telehealth visit before (e.g., confirms student need, ensures student consent form is on file, calls the parent to gather pertinent medical information, and requests telehealth visit from the provider), during (e.g., operates the telehealth equipment to “present” the student to the consulting provider), and after (e.g., ensures the student and/or family is contacted with the plan of care, completes any paperwork required for billing). A health center employee, school nurse, health tech, other school employees, or a combination of these serves in the telepresenter role.  

Vendor 

A licensed telehealth supplier, program, or organization that provides technology, services, or support for telehealth care; this includes (but is not limited to) administration, technology installation, and medical staffing.  

Video Conferencing 

Videoconferencing technologies allow for two-way live, interactive video and audio signals to deliver telehealth, telemedicine, or distant education services. It is often referred to by the acronyms – ITV, IATV, or VTC (video teleconference).