Telehealth Service Research Paper
Telehealth Service
HCS 531
May 13, 2013
Ms. Norma Wright
Telehealth Service
In today's world, technology is advancing rapidly, and communications, health records, and quality of care in health care is changing for the better. Telehealth is still new to the heath care industry; however, this new method shows an increase in contact between patients and the medical organization. Telehealth is a technology foundation that uses electronic information and telecommunications for long-distance health care, by way of videoconferencing, the Internet, store-and forward imaging, streaming medical, and worldly and wireless communication. Telehealth is a way for medical organizations to improve and increase health care to individuals in need. …show more content…
Describing Telehealth
Telehealth is a new health care technology that delivers health care, health care information, and health care education from a distance, for example teleradiology, tele-education, or telemonitoring (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Telehealth provides a means for healthcare professionals to monitor data on specific aspects of a patient's health, such as sensors that can monitor oxygen amount in a patient's blood. Teleradiology (health care information) can consist of such things as test results forwarded to another healthcare facility for diagnosis. Tele-education (education) is about presentation given by specialists to general practitioners, and telemonitoring (delivers health care) is similar to a home visit from a physicians or home care nursing.
Healthcare organizations can achieve telehealth through real-time communication or store-and-forward communication (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Real-time communication is about communication between healthcare personnel and patients, or healthcare personnel and medical students. An example of real-time communication is a consultation between a nurse practitioner, a patient, and a health care specialist by means of audio or video link, videophone, or digital cameras (for telewound care and teledermatology). Another example is communication between a physician in an examination room and a patient, who is in their home by way of webcam. Another example of real-time communication would be a cardiologist holding a teleconference with internists concerning a new treatment for tachycardia (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Store-and-forward communication refers to digital image transmission. For example, digital images from radiology to a specialist for a diagnosis, or digital image from dermatology to a physician for a diagnosis. Telehealth is making it possible to bring additional knowledge and proficiency when consulting on cases, or reaching out to a patient in his or her own home as well as save traveling time and expenses for a patient's, that are ill, and their physician. Telehealth demonstrate an unlimited potential in the advancement of preventative medicine as well as treatments for chronic condition (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d).
Impact of Telehealth
Telehealth makes managing continuing health care conditions more efficient, beneficial, and cost-effective. Telehealth can provide quality of care to patients with health care issues or chronic illness, who prefer to live at home instead of an assisted-living organization, by providing the means in which to receive healthcare without leaving his or her homes (How Can Telehealth Benefit Primary Care?, n.a.). Telehealth is providing, basically the same service as home health care, only telehealth is providing this care through audio or video link, videophone, webcam, etc.., instead in person. Telehealth not only benefits patients and health care providers, it also benefits family members, who have the care of a loved one, be it a senior, young adult, or child, community organizations, healthcare facilities, and government. These benefits provide economic benefits and direct and indirect benefits. Economic benefits would consist of job creation and an increase in research and development investment. Direct and indirect benefits would consist of improvement of patients and family access to health information, empower consumers, and communities by providing accessibility to health education, improve healthcare delivery care, improve healthcare in rural or remote areas, lower costs of health care, reduce travel, and decrease patient waiting time (Hunter, 2002). For healthcare organizations to obtain the ultimate goals of care to patients, requires a careful balancing combination of knowledge, skill, and effective communication. There must also be a personal awareness and trust to keep this balance.
The early stages of implementing telehealth can be costly for health care organizations; however, the total impact of telehealth, over a short time will in fact, reduce health care costs. With healthcare organizations developing the ability to monitor patient's conditions, though telehealth, it becomes easier to improve preventive care, and reduce emergency care, which will reduce health care costs. A study done by the Center for Information Technology Leadership (Culyba, 2009), showed an estimated nationwide implementation of telehealth, in all ranges of health care organizations, could save approximately $4.28 billion annually in health care costs. This estimation does not include the costs savings of remote monitoring care or the identifying and treatment of emerging medical issues, which would add to the saving by using telehealth. Telehealth has shown that it provides a major benefit in areas of healthcare, such as accessibility, cost effectiveness, quality of care, health outcomes, and support.
With each health care organizations implementing telehealth, improvement of quality of care increase, by way of improving accessibility to healthcare, access of optimal care, reduction of health care delivery costs, an increase of patient and physicians/facility access, and a reduction in costs for patients and physicians alike (Culyba, 2009).
Social, ethical, and economic impact of telehealth
Telehealth advancement is changing the way society perceive healthcare daily. What society is seeing in telehealth technology is a way to improve healthcare for those in need as well as a way to improve life (Brocks-Smith, 2012). The social and economic impact of telehealth technology presents an importance to quality of life for those with health care issues as well as a positive utilization of the health care system.
The ethical impact of telehealth technology consists of more than just ensuring patient privacy and confidentiality. It also consists of the ethical challenge on how providers and healthcare personnel can utilize telehealth and how it influences relationships with patients. Another ethical issue that can influence telehealth and healthcare is the loss of touch, the possibility for depersonalization as well as exploitation, and inequity when delivering telehealth technology healthcare (Fleming, …show more content…
n.d.).
Conclusion
In conclusion, telehealth is still fairly new to the health care organization; however, it shows promise to be a big benefit to patients, physicians, and educators nationwide. Real-time and store-and-forward communications provides the means of open communication between patients and physicians, or healthcare educator and students. With telehealth, quality of care can improve for patients who wish to stay in their own homes, reduce costs of healthcare, and reduce waiting and traveling for patients. Society perceives telehealth as a way to improve healthcare, and provided healthcare support for housebound patients, family members, and health care providers. Costs of implementing telehealth at first may be high; however, in the end the expense will balance out to show a cost benefit to the health care organization and patients. There are a few ethical challenges healthcare personnel may face with the use of telehealth, but these challenges can be conquer with time and knowledge for both healthcare personnel and patients alike. Telehealth is the future in health care, which will provide an efficient, effective, beneficial, and cost-effective healthcare to those with healthcare needs.
Reference
Brocks-Smith, R., (2012).
The Impact of Telehealth Technology and Social Innovation in Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.blogs.cisco.com/healthcare/the-impact-of-telehealth-technology-and-social-innovation-in-healthcare/
Culyba, M. J., M.D., (2009). Telehealth - Smart Business. Retrieved from http://www.sbnonline.com/2009/05/telehealth-how-advance-in-telecommunication-have- improved-health-care/
Fleming, D. A., M.D., FACP, (n.d.). Telehealth: The Ethical Challenges of a New Technology: Center for Health Ethics-Department of Health Management and Informatics. Retrieved from http://ethics.missouri.edu/docs/Telehealth_Challenges.pdf
How Can Telehealth Technology Benefit Primary Care? U. S. Department of Health and Human Services - Health Information Technology and Quality Improvement (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toobox/RuralHealthITtoobox/Telehealth/howcantelehealth.h tml
Hunter, J., (2002). What are the Benefits of Telehealth? Retrieved from http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/telehealth/Benefit_of_Telehealth.htm#DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS
What is Telehealth? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Health Information Technology and Quality Improvement, (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/Telehealth/whatistelehealth.
html
HCS 531
May 13, 2013
Ms. Norma Wright
Telehealth Service
In today's world, technology is advancing rapidly, and communications, health records, and quality of care in health care is changing for the better. Telehealth is still new to the heath care industry; however, this new method shows an increase in contact between patients and the medical organization. Telehealth is a technology foundation that uses electronic information and telecommunications for long-distance health care, by way of videoconferencing, the Internet, store-and forward imaging, streaming medical, and worldly and wireless communication. Telehealth is a way for medical organizations to improve and increase health care to individuals in need. …show more content…
Describing Telehealth
Telehealth is a new health care technology that delivers health care, health care information, and health care education from a distance, for example teleradiology, tele-education, or telemonitoring (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Telehealth provides a means for healthcare professionals to monitor data on specific aspects of a patient's health, such as sensors that can monitor oxygen amount in a patient's blood. Teleradiology (health care information) can consist of such things as test results forwarded to another healthcare facility for diagnosis. Tele-education (education) is about presentation given by specialists to general practitioners, and telemonitoring (delivers health care) is similar to a home visit from a physicians or home care nursing.
Healthcare organizations can achieve telehealth through real-time communication or store-and-forward communication (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Real-time communication is about communication between healthcare personnel and patients, or healthcare personnel and medical students. An example of real-time communication is a consultation between a nurse practitioner, a patient, and a health care specialist by means of audio or video link, videophone, or digital cameras (for telewound care and teledermatology). Another example is communication between a physician in an examination room and a patient, who is in their home by way of webcam. Another example of real-time communication would be a cardiologist holding a teleconference with internists concerning a new treatment for tachycardia (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d). Store-and-forward communication refers to digital image transmission. For example, digital images from radiology to a specialist for a diagnosis, or digital image from dermatology to a physician for a diagnosis. Telehealth is making it possible to bring additional knowledge and proficiency when consulting on cases, or reaching out to a patient in his or her own home as well as save traveling time and expenses for a patient's, that are ill, and their physician. Telehealth demonstrate an unlimited potential in the advancement of preventative medicine as well as treatments for chronic condition (What is Teleheatlh?, n.d).
Impact of Telehealth
Telehealth makes managing continuing health care conditions more efficient, beneficial, and cost-effective. Telehealth can provide quality of care to patients with health care issues or chronic illness, who prefer to live at home instead of an assisted-living organization, by providing the means in which to receive healthcare without leaving his or her homes (How Can Telehealth Benefit Primary Care?, n.a.). Telehealth is providing, basically the same service as home health care, only telehealth is providing this care through audio or video link, videophone, webcam, etc.., instead in person. Telehealth not only benefits patients and health care providers, it also benefits family members, who have the care of a loved one, be it a senior, young adult, or child, community organizations, healthcare facilities, and government. These benefits provide economic benefits and direct and indirect benefits. Economic benefits would consist of job creation and an increase in research and development investment. Direct and indirect benefits would consist of improvement of patients and family access to health information, empower consumers, and communities by providing accessibility to health education, improve healthcare delivery care, improve healthcare in rural or remote areas, lower costs of health care, reduce travel, and decrease patient waiting time (Hunter, 2002). For healthcare organizations to obtain the ultimate goals of care to patients, requires a careful balancing combination of knowledge, skill, and effective communication. There must also be a personal awareness and trust to keep this balance.
The early stages of implementing telehealth can be costly for health care organizations; however, the total impact of telehealth, over a short time will in fact, reduce health care costs. With healthcare organizations developing the ability to monitor patient's conditions, though telehealth, it becomes easier to improve preventive care, and reduce emergency care, which will reduce health care costs. A study done by the Center for Information Technology Leadership (Culyba, 2009), showed an estimated nationwide implementation of telehealth, in all ranges of health care organizations, could save approximately $4.28 billion annually in health care costs. This estimation does not include the costs savings of remote monitoring care or the identifying and treatment of emerging medical issues, which would add to the saving by using telehealth. Telehealth has shown that it provides a major benefit in areas of healthcare, such as accessibility, cost effectiveness, quality of care, health outcomes, and support.
With each health care organizations implementing telehealth, improvement of quality of care increase, by way of improving accessibility to healthcare, access of optimal care, reduction of health care delivery costs, an increase of patient and physicians/facility access, and a reduction in costs for patients and physicians alike (Culyba, 2009).
Social, ethical, and economic impact of telehealth
Telehealth advancement is changing the way society perceive healthcare daily. What society is seeing in telehealth technology is a way to improve healthcare for those in need as well as a way to improve life (Brocks-Smith, 2012). The social and economic impact of telehealth technology presents an importance to quality of life for those with health care issues as well as a positive utilization of the health care system.
The ethical impact of telehealth technology consists of more than just ensuring patient privacy and confidentiality. It also consists of the ethical challenge on how providers and healthcare personnel can utilize telehealth and how it influences relationships with patients. Another ethical issue that can influence telehealth and healthcare is the loss of touch, the possibility for depersonalization as well as exploitation, and inequity when delivering telehealth technology healthcare (Fleming, …show more content…
n.d.).
Conclusion
In conclusion, telehealth is still fairly new to the health care organization; however, it shows promise to be a big benefit to patients, physicians, and educators nationwide. Real-time and store-and-forward communications provides the means of open communication between patients and physicians, or healthcare educator and students. With telehealth, quality of care can improve for patients who wish to stay in their own homes, reduce costs of healthcare, and reduce waiting and traveling for patients. Society perceives telehealth as a way to improve healthcare, and provided healthcare support for housebound patients, family members, and health care providers. Costs of implementing telehealth at first may be high; however, in the end the expense will balance out to show a cost benefit to the health care organization and patients. There are a few ethical challenges healthcare personnel may face with the use of telehealth, but these challenges can be conquer with time and knowledge for both healthcare personnel and patients alike. Telehealth is the future in health care, which will provide an efficient, effective, beneficial, and cost-effective healthcare to those with healthcare needs.
Reference
Brocks-Smith, R., (2012).
The Impact of Telehealth Technology and Social Innovation in Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.blogs.cisco.com/healthcare/the-impact-of-telehealth-technology-and-social-innovation-in-healthcare/
Culyba, M. J., M.D., (2009). Telehealth - Smart Business. Retrieved from http://www.sbnonline.com/2009/05/telehealth-how-advance-in-telecommunication-have- improved-health-care/
Fleming, D. A., M.D., FACP, (n.d.). Telehealth: The Ethical Challenges of a New Technology: Center for Health Ethics-Department of Health Management and Informatics. Retrieved from http://ethics.missouri.edu/docs/Telehealth_Challenges.pdf
How Can Telehealth Technology Benefit Primary Care? U. S. Department of Health and Human Services - Health Information Technology and Quality Improvement (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toobox/RuralHealthITtoobox/Telehealth/howcantelehealth.h tml
Hunter, J., (2002). What are the Benefits of Telehealth? Retrieved from http://www.fp.ucalgary.ca/telehealth/Benefit_of_Telehealth.htm#DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS
What is Telehealth? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Health Information Technology and Quality Improvement, (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/Telehealth/whatistelehealth.
html