CON2024 48 Telehealth Consultant (PHU)

Project Context and Scope:

Recognizing the critical gap in the quality of healthcare services in Lebanon, exacerbated by the economic crisis, IOM aims to improve the capacity of PHCCs under a fund from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to meet growing health needs by integrating telehealth solutions. The recent literature has been pointing towards increased barriers to accessing healthcare services associated with transportation burden, brain drain of professionals, centralization of more advanced services and specialties in and around Beirut, limited patient awareness and health literacy, widespread societal stigma around services like mental and reproductive health services.  Those factors among others have prompted individuals to seek servicesfrom different sources, sometimes outside of the regular intended pathways such as traditional health and pharmacies and most of the times from nearby PHCCs.. As a result, PHCCs are being overwhelmed with inability to adequately meet the health needs of populations within their catchment areas. Following COVID-19 pandemic, the Lebanese Order of Physicians encouraged enrolled physicians to provide healthcare services remotely when deemed possible. Telemedicine gained strength in certain specialties in the primary healthcare (PHC) setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach ensures patients have access to specialized medical expertise otherwise unavailable to them, improving overall health outcomes for the community. 

Building on the pilot telehealth project implemented by IOM and the Society for Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World (SASTA) with their implementing partner HERA in 2022-2023 across six PHCCs in Lebanon, this initiative will focus on integrating telehealth into the operations of 12 additional rural and suburban PHCCs.

These PHCCs will be geographically distributed across the governorates of Akkar and  Bekaa to address the drivers of irregular migration for vulnerable Lebanese and Syrians focusing on access to healthcare, as well as mental health and psychosocial support services. In each selected PHCC, IOM will set up and configure two telehealth stations ensuring all necessary hardware and software components are in place and functioning correctly.

Therefore, IOM will recruit a consultant to develop a Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) to align the roles and responsibilities for stakeholders in the field and to provide guidance on how to handle various matters related to telehealth.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:

The consultant will contribute to IOM Lebanon’s Public Health Programme. Specifically, this will happen under the project titled: ‘’ PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN COMMUNITIES PRONE TO IRREGULAR MIGRATION’’. 

Category B Consultants:Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment:

• Share a comprehensive workplan outling timelines. (1 day)
• Develop a detailed SOP for a telehealth model to provide guidance on how to handle various matters related to telehealth. This will include patient registration/consent processes, telehealth consultations’ schedule, best platform to be used, documentation/record-keeping protocols, referral mechanisms, liability issues and others. (30 days)
• Conduct training sessions on the developed SOP for the selected PHCCs. (9 days)
• Draft a report with two page recommendations based on the developed SOP and conducted training sessions. (2 days)

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results:

• Providing high quality documents that can be used as a reference for future projects.
• Effective coordination with different stakeholders involved in the project.
• Conducting 12 training sessions to the selected PHCCs.
• Timely submission of the above deliverables.

Education, Experience and/or skills required:

Education: Advanced degree in Public Health, Healthcare management or any related field.

Experience:

• At least five years of experience in healthcare setting mainly PHCCs, telehealth healthcare settings.
• Strong knowledge of telehealth technologies, data security, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to conduct training sessions and capacity-building workshops.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Duration of Consultancy: 42 working days till February 2025.

Travel required: No

Competencies:

Values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators:

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.