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Telemedicine a new concept
Telemedicine a new concept
Discussion on telemedicine easy
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Introduction Telehealth or telemedicine refers to the delivery of health services by telecommunication technologies, such as the telephone, videophone, and computer, by healthcare professionals.1 Information and communication technologies are used for the exchange of information in order to diagnose, treat, prevent diseases and injuries, research and education of the healthcare providers.2. Telemedicine is the use of electronic communications and information technologies to provide clinical services when both the patient and healthcare providers are at different locations.3 A similar term Telehealth, comprises a broader application of technologies to distance education, consumer outreach, and other applications.3 There are three primary types …show more content…
After reviewing various articles of many data sources, the Department of Veterans Affairs, American Well, and the Medicaid seemed like the invaluable sources of information on the topic of telemedicine for further discussion. The U.S Department of Veterans Affairs explores the advantages of telemedicine and how it improves the health of the veterans. The American Well related websites were a great source to gain insight into the benefits of telemedicine in the commercial sector. The Medicaid and Medicare websites provides insight into how telemedicine gained acceptance and is sometimes the preferred means of healthcare service for those who cannot afford and for the elderly …show more content…
In such cases, they are referred to the VA medical center.8 Some veterans who are old, disabled, or lives in a remote or rural area might find it arduous task to travel to a medical center. For a patient such as this, benefits tremendously from telemedicine or telehealth. Thus, VA emphasizes the significance of telemedicine in the veteran population. VA, the world leaders in this new area of healthcare, uses Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) to make diagnoses, care management, regular check-ups, and actual care.8 These electronic technologies allow veteran patients to connect to a specialist physician or care provider at one of the VA community-based outpatient
[20]Charles BL. (2000) Telemedicine can lower costs and improve access. Healthcare Financial Management. 54(4): 66.
It has grown to over 150 medical centers throughout the United States and its territories. President Abraham Lincoln established the VA system to care for the returning solider, their widow and orphan. The VA health care system electronic medical record (EMR) functions as a single EMR for the country and is accessible at any VA facility. The VA website boasts competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, good work-life balance, and ability to work with trainees. There are many recruitment programs, including loan repayment and support for additional education including time off with pay and complete reimbursement of educational costs (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.). Additional benefits, include the ability to transfer to transfer to any VA facility in the system with ease. Finally, it is an honor to work for the institution, to be able to provide care for those who served their country and risked life, limb, and
Telehealth is the monitoring via remote exchange of physiological data between a patient at home and health care professionals at hospitals or clinics to assist with diagnosis and treatment. As our society ages and health care costs increase, government and private insurance payers are seeking technological interventions. Technological solutions may provide high quality healthcare services at a distance, utilize professional resources more effectively, and enable elderly and ill patients to remain in their own homes. Patients may experience decreased hospitalization and urgent care settings, and out of home care may not be required as the patient is monitored at home. However, no study has been able to prove telehealth benefits conclusively. This change in health care delivery presents new ethical concerns, and new relationship boundaries between health care professionals, patients, and family members. This paper will discuss telehealth benefits in specific patient populations, costs benefits of using telehealth, and concerns of using telehealth.
The purpose of telemedicine is to remove distance as a barrier to health care. While telehealth is an accepted resource to bridge the gap between local and global health care, integrating telehealth into existing health infrastructures presents a challenge for both governments and policy makers (HRSA, 2011). Today there are policy barriers that prevent the expansion of telehealth, including reimbursement issues raised by Medicare and private payers, state licensure, and liability and privacy concerns.
Bowles, K., Holland, D., & Horowitz, D. (2009). A comparison of in-person home care, home care with telephone contact and home care with telemonitoring for disease management. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, (15), 344-350. doi: 10.1258/jtt.2009.090118
It is widely recognized that mental illness affects a significant proportion of the population; however, it is complicated to determine exact numbers. This problem can be attributed to such issues as the changing definitions of mental illness as well as difficulties in classifying, diagnosing, and reporting mental disorders. Limitations to adequate mental health services including social stigma, cultural incompatibility between patients and providers, language barriers, lack of insurance and logistical barriers. In addition, significant differences in socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviors, and access to care have resulted in health disparities between rural and urban communities (Institute of Medicine, 2004). According to Sulzbacher et al., many families who live in rural areas do not have the financial, social or psychological resources, to travel to distant urban centers to obtain adequate care particularly for a chronic mental health problem. There is also evidence to suggest that mental illness in rural areas is as nearly as high as among people in metropolitan areas. However, the accessibility of mental health services and professionals in rural areas is extremely low compared to major cities and metropolitan areas. Such barriers can impede the diagnosing, treating and reporting of mental illnesses and have also been instrumental in developing and improving telepsychiatry and e-mental health models.
Whitten, P., & Buis, L. (2007). Private payer reimbursement for telemedicine services in the United States. Telemedicine and e-Health, 13(1), 15-24.
Telenursing is the application of information and telecommunications technology to offer the nursing or healthcare services to the patients. The most advanced field of telehealth is in household telenursing healthcare. Telenursing devices like computers, telephones and videophones enable nurses to increase successfully the patient numbers seen daily while reducing the entire workload (Arnaert & Delesie, 2001). Nurses are capable of doing this without having to leave the doctor’s office or hospital hence saving a considerable amount of
Telehealth allows a lower-level healthcare practitioner to communicate with a physician or specialist when necessary. Remote rural areas use a Physician Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner on location in remote areas. When procedures call for a physician, an internet or satellite link provides a teleconference with a physician who can prescribe appropriate treatment (Gangon, Duplantie, Fortin & Landry 2006). This could be implemented in lower income urban areas, allowing free clinics to lower costs, and require fewer physicians. Programs that increase the level of healthcare available to school children could be increased.
Telemedicine is a new comer to the field of medicine and it is the treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology. Telemedicine is carried out in a variety of ways whether it is by smart phone, wireless tools or other forms of telecommunications. Examples of telemedicine include: 1) transmission of medical images 2) care services at the home of the patient 3) Diagnosis at distance 4) education and training of patients. The diversity of practices in what is known as telemedicine raises many questions and one of those questions, which is extremely important, relate to the safety of the practice and the risks involved.
The economic impact of telehealth is a critical factor to examine when looking at the feasibility of incorporating such technologies into practice. Exploration of economics is also essential as it has been posited that telehealth has the potential to deliver care to individuals that is cost saving in nature (Wade, Karnon, Elshaug, & Hiller, 2010). Furthermore, the estimated expenditure on telehealth services and technology is expected to reach into the billions of dollars (Berger, 2010). However, there are myriad individual elements that may be considered in the broad subject of economics, which complicates determining the economic impact in a parsimonious way (Bergmo, 2009; Wade, et al., 2010).
Kansas is considered a rural state in the United States. Merriam-Webster (2012) defines rural theoretically as “open land” or “relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture”. The U.S. Census Bureau considers rural to be “open country and settlements with fewer than 2,500 residents” (Cromartie, 2007). Nearly 17% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, which is about 80% of all U.S. territory (Cromartie, 2009). What this means that there is more land mass compared to the people inhabiting the land; rural communities have fewer people living in larger, more remote areas. Individuals living in rural communities have different cultures and experiences than those living in urban communities, which can become problematic in regards to healthcare.
Telemedicine hold a great promise in health information technology, it not only promises to improve health care delivery but it also aids in serving the most vulnerable of patients.
Telehealth definition according to our textbook by Hebda, T., & Czar, P., 2013 is the use of telecommunications technologies and electronic information to exchange healthcare information and to provide and support services such as long-distance clinical healthcare to clients. It provides health care to patients that may not be able to have access to care. Telehealth requires a patient to have electronic tools to facilitate this type of service. Electronic tools can be a telephone, computer, or a video camera. The patient is able to call or enable video conferencing to have access to their health care provider. Telehealth allows the patient to have access to preventative care and education on their disease process and how to manage it at home.
Telehealth nurses use the nursing process to provide care for individual patients or defined patient populations over a telecommunication device” (Stokowski, 2008).