Home-grown outsourcing company Island Outsourcers, which operates as itel, has entered the telemedicine market in the United States through its medical outsourcing brand itel Med.

In a release on its website, the company said the launch of its first telemedecine service is in response to “the urgent demand for registered nurses (RNs) as America faces a critical shortage of healthcare professionals”

itel unveiled its virtual nursing solution at this year’s American Hospital Association (AHA) Leadership Summit, held July 20 – 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Described as “cutting-edge”, the virtual platform connects US patients to teams of Jamaican nurses, using the most up-to-date remote diagnostic tools to provide comprehensive care to thousands of Americans who would otherwise be impacted by the nursing shortage.

Leveraging the itel experience

“We had some experience in healthcare delivery, but this would be on a scale never seen before, not just for itel, but for Jamaica and the Caribbean. Yet, I felt the timing could not have been more ideal. The US is facing a critical shortage of healthcare practitioners, especially registered nurses, and it seemed like the next logical market primed for exploration,” itel president of business development and delivery, Kelly Jenson, stated in a blog post on the company’s website.

According to the Caribbean outsourcing entity, nurse shortages could reach into the millions by 2030 in the US, which is experiencing both increased demand for medical care from an ageing population, as well as an existing shortfall of over 70,000 registered nurses (RNs). At present, 10 states are already facing critical shortages.

Moreover, Jenson, citing a MedCity news report, said surveys show that almost 40 per cent of US nurses are planning to retire or leave the profession in the next five years, at a time when one in five Americans will be over the age of 65.

 itel is therefore taking advantage of the potential solution that virtual healthcare presents by allowing more people to connect with licensed medical professionals in places like the Caribbean, where there are large pools of qualified RNs.

“To me, virtual nursing is a natural evolution for itel. As a Jamaica-based company, we are already well established in the region. We have everything needed to deliver health services compared to what you get in the US,” Jenson shared.

“We have depth and breadth of experience working with large, complex industries, such as hospitality, insurance, and financial services. We can develop and use cutting-edge technology and can rapidly scale to meet the needs of our clients. In the end, we can provide more cost-effective services to regions struggling to meet the needs of their patients amid funding cuts,” the business development executive continued.

Jenson also highlighted Jamaica’s talent pool in the nursing profession, adding, “that’s what cemented our resolve to get into virtual healthcare.” itel Med was officially born.

Development and partnership

For this new venture, itel Med’s development involved integrating the right telehealth platform, one that could deliver the right kind of comprehensive care. As such, itel has entered into a partnership with Trusted Technologies Inc, a California-based digital health software product development company. Its telehealth platform enables advanced next-generation virtual care capabilities.

With the solution, itel Med can assist with everything from patient intake to supportive coaching. Through a simple, secure link, patients can access virtual nurses in Jamaica through a compliant operational setup, ensuring patient-facing technology and care remain within the licensed jurisdiction.

What’s more, remote monitoring features allow the collection of vital health data such as range-of-motion analysis, blood pressure monitoring, and virtual heart and lung exams, which allow nurses to gain a real-time understanding of patients’ health.

The technology was on full display at the American Hospital Association Leadership Summit, where attendees could connect with itel’s virtual nurses and even use some of the devices that allow uploading of health data.

“It’s something we’re very proud of,” explained Yoni Epstein, itel’s CEO and founding chairman.

“Caribbean nurses are already highly regarded for their extensive training and excellent level of care, as well as their familiarity with American healthcare standards and policies. In fact, 16 per cent of America’s nurses already come from Caribbean descent. So, it was a natural evolution to combine our CX expertise and training with the medical expertise of Jamaica’s RNs, fusing our talent for hospitality with virtual care, to not only alleviate staff shortages, but to elevate the patient experience, while giving providers new ways to scale services in a cost-effective way,” he continued.

itel Med will first tap into Jamaica’s nursing pool. However, the company is already planning to expand to other locations, as they anticipate a growing need for virtual nurses both inside and outside the US. The outsourcing company also has operations in Belize and St Lucia.

Itel noted that the launch of its virtual service had an “exciting reception” at the AHA Summit, validating both a growing need and a growing interest in virtual healthcare outsourcing.

“Ultimately, this service will help a lot of Americans, especially in rural or remote areas, where it’s not so easy to access hospitals or clinics. Instead of traveling great distances to seek care, patients can receive everything from pre-op assessments to long-term care management, all from the comfort of their home,” Jenson outlined.

“We can structure our nursing services to meet any number of needs, and it can even help with staff retention as our virtual teams can offload some of the paperwork from on-site nurses, so they can focus on direct patient care,” he added.

Jenson is also bullish on the new service’s growth.

“It really is an exciting time for us. I see virtual health services becoming one of our main offerings, as we expand into other countries, other delivery locations and languages, as well as other verticals within the health industry, such as psychiatric and wellness services,” he revealed.