Electronic Communication in Health Care

846 Words2 Pages

On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signs into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The law promotes electronic health records and infrastructure development to cut costs in health care. While the law does not mandate their use, the federal government has set aside twenty billion dollars to help in the development of a strong health information technology infrastructure. Title IV states, “NO INCENTIVE PAYMENT IF FIRST ADOPTING AFTER 2014” (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 2009). In times of economic turmoil, medical organizations are scrambling to make a profit or just break even. So, the government has successfully made their point; however, clients who use health care suffer by losing personable interactions. Without considering the human touch, communication between health institutions can save money and lives. Imagine a client who is rushed into the emergency department (ED) and cannot remember important information the physician needs. The client stresses, which adds to the emergency; and the physician waits to diagnosis until the medical records arrive. A way to improve emergent situations is through telemedicine (Gaguski, 2007). The electronic submission of medical records is one component; however, video conferences, client portals, transmissions of vital signs, and call centers for medical advice are all parts of telemedicine ("Telemedicine Defined," 2010). Clients who live in remote communities benefit from telemedicine because they do not drive for medical advice, education, or vital signs (Gaguski, 2007). While saving money and time, rural citizens have access to updated health care. When a family member has to work, telemedicine is more available and increases participation... ... middle of paper ... .... L. Brock, Communication in nursing (6th ed., pp. 74-86). St. Louis, MO: Mosby’s Elsevier. Gaguski, M. E. (2007, December). Patient care goes paperless as telemedicine moves mainstream. ONS Connect, 22. Retrieved from https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/group/SU10-CO-NURS-B231-1446/Assignment%20_4%20article.pdf Lillibridge, J., & Hanna, B. (2008, November 26). Using telehealth to deliver nursing case management services to HIV/AIDS clients. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(1), 9. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol14No1PPT02 Palkon, D. S., & Baranczyk, O. (2009, Fall). Dr. Elliot Justin: Chief executive officer and founder of swiftMD. Hospital Topics, 87(4), 22-25. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com Telemedicine defined. (2010, May 21). American telemedicine association. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from http://www.americantelemed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3333

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