Telehealth in Libraries: The Future of Healthcare

Public libraries are transforming into community centers that are striving to meet the diverse needs of all patrons. The next big thing is discovering an effective way to integrate direct healthcare services into our libraries' existing infrastructure, particularly for the uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented patrons. In fact, according to Pew research, when it comes to "seeking health care information and learning new technologies, nearly three quarters of [people] ages 16 and over think libraries help in these areas".

In this webinar, presenter Nick Martin will define exactly what telehealth is as well as the motivation for incorporating telehealth in public libraries. He will discuss how the Delaware Libraries built a support team, applied for grants, and implemented their pilot program.

At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:

• Identify the need for telehealth in their own library population utilizing over a dozen key metrics to prove the need.
• Apply five lessons learned from this session to their own libraries and potential telehealth opportunities.
• Understand how to design a pilot program (1-3 libraries) similar to the Delaware model, including funding needs, creating partnerships, and establishing a sustainable model for 5+ years into the future.

Background: In May of 2021, Delaware Libraries announced the launch of the Telehealth Kiosk and Device Loaning Initiative. In this pilot, kiosks have been set up at rural Delaware public libraries to increase access to health and social services. The device loaning initiative features the deployment of hundreds of Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots at public libraries throughout the state: so, when the libraries are closed, patrons can still access telehealth and other social services. The success of the pilot has enabled the Delaware Libraries to scale this program to 10 additional libraries statewide in 2022.

This webinar will be of interest to: Administration/Management from Public Libraries, Public library stakeholders (board members, community partners, friends' groups), Public library staff with an interest in healthcare and/or emerging technology

Webinars are free of charge, you can pre-register by clicking on the Register Now button on this page. If you pre-registered you will receive an email with login link and a reminder email the day before the event.

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Presentation Material

Speaker's slides

Chromebook & Wifi Hotspot Survey

Social Service Kiosk Pre-Use Survey

Social Service Kiosk Post-Use Survey

Telehealth Acknowledgement