What Is Telehealth Discussion Responses

Respond to at least two of your colleagues* offering additional/alternative ideas regarding opportunities and risks related to the observations shared. Each answer should be a minimum of 200 words with at least 2 current resources. Use APA Format 7th edition. 

*Note: Your fellow students are referred to as colleagues.

1) Initial Post by C. Batte

Healthcare technology trends

As healthcare continues to change, different trends impact the nursing field. Technology has come a long way, from paper documentation to electronic medical records. Telehealth is one of the trends that has increased, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Telehealth has also assisted providers in following up with their patients. Nurses in my organization were introduced to telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic, where they managed to telecommunicate between doctors and patients. Machado et al. (2020), nurses helped patients through technology networks to a follow-up visit with the physicians. In this process, continuity of care was established with patients leading to quality care.

Challenges/Risks

On the other hand, the potential challenge is that not all patients are computer savvy; computer illiteracy can hinder the effectiveness of telecare technologies. For example, psychiatrists in my organization have resorted to rounding through telehealth. Some of these patients feel disconnected from the doctors by being challenged by the technology or just not appreciating virtual interactions. Before the Covid 19, pandemic doctors visited patients at the bedside, creating connections with their patients. This has left the nurses with more tasks to answer the doctors’ questions.  Although healthcare technology trends have advantages, some potential risks like cyber-attacks on the patient’s information threaten electronic health records (Kim, 2020). Cyber-attacks continue to threaten healthcare; handling patient medical records can put patients’ information in the wrong hands.

Potential benefits and risks associated with telehealth

Telehealth has continued to emerge in rural areas, and electronic health records are used to transfer patient medical information to their providers. This creates continuity of care with patients after hospitalization. However, according to West &Artinian (2019), a study conducted was to see how patients in rural areas would perceive the accessibility of telehealth in primary care settings. The study showed that although the patients were willing to use telehealth, some risks were lack of insurance and internet connection, making it hard to access telehealth technology. Mobile technology poses the risk of misleading data. Here patient information via text messages may be directed somewhere it was not supposed to go, linking patient medical records to the wrong channels (Iribarren et al., 2017). The government back in 2004 created the US Department of Human Services to committee help providers have universal communication to share patient information safely through electronic medical records (HealthIT.gov, 2019).

Future of Telehealth

Telehealth technology is the new future because new ideas are introduced as technology advances. When Covid-19 hit the world, technology like telehealth was the alternative to stay connected with patients and providers. Doctors and nurses use this form of communication to stay updated with the patients they treat with less risk of exposure to deadly diseases like Covid-19 (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).

Most promising technology

Telehealth is a promising technology because in-home health nurses use telehealth to manage patients’ chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Many patient outcomes have been registered to create efficiencies. Patients feel comfortable communicating with their nurses about their care; this has promoted continuity of patient care (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).

2) Initial Post by R. Drusman

Healthcare Technology Trends

Healthcare technology trends can vary from mobile applications, telehealth, to utilizing electronic health records. On a yearly basis, there’s an increase in technology and what it has to offer for healthcare organizations. Currently, telehealth is being implemented for a multitude of reasons for all patient populations. Throughout my organization, psychiatrists and social workers have used telehealth to hold video conferences with patients’ families for reasons such as going over discharge plans, medication regimens, and the status of the patient. This permits the entire team to be on the same page as to what’ll happen going forward with patient care.  

           Challenges in Telehealth

There are multiple risks when it comes to electronic data in healthcare organizations. According to Seh et. al., online resources such as telehealth are susceptible to data breaches (2020). Millions of users have been affected by unauthorized users leaking out crucial information such as healthcare records. This can be alarming for the patient as well as the healthcare organization. Another concern is not possessing the required medical equipment to monitor the patient’s wellbeing or get a further diagnosis. Not having these devices at home can highly impact patient safety. For example, a patient with cardiac issues would be required to see a physician in person if an echocardiogram or another procedure is required.

                                               Benefits of Telehealth

One of the several reasons that telehealth relates to positive patient outcomes. First, it enables those with a weakened immune system to not have to contract any other infections at a doctor’s office (Haleem et. al., 2021). This was especially evident during the pandemic when telehealth was the safest option for social distancing. Other factors that are avoidable when it comes to telehealth are having a lack of transportation, taking time off of work, and extensive wait times. Additionally, physicians are able to view medical histories from the EHR on their computer and be able to come up with a treatment plan or diagnosis making it time and cost-efficient. Regarding patient outcomes, there can be a decrease in medical errors when having video conferences with other physicians to get extra input (Haleem et. al., 2021). However, technology isn’t always prone to getting rid of every single mistake.

           Patient Outcomes and Efficacy

“Healthcare technologies are frequently designed to improve patient safety, streamline work processes, and improve the quality and outcomes of healthcare delivery” (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). Therefore, patient outcomes can be improved with these resources that promote open communication. Having the capability to use these online resources can make it easier to communicate with healthcare providers by checking if a patient has any concerns with their treatment, medications, and aftercare plans.  

Discussion – Week 6Healthcare Information Technology TrendsThroughout history, technological advancements have appeared for one purpose before finding applications elsewhere that lead to spikes in its usage and development. The internet, for example, was originally developed to share research before becoming a staple of work and entertainment. But technology—new and repurposed—will undoubtedly continue to be a driver of healthcare information. Informaticists often stay tuned to trends to monitor what the next new technology will be or how the next new idea for applying existing technology can benefit outcomes.In this Discussion, you will reflect on your healthcare organization’s use of technology and offer a technology trend you observe in your environment.To Prepare:Reflect on the Resources related to digital information tools and technologies.Consider your healthcare organization’s use of healthcare technologies to manage and distribute information.Reflect on current and potential future trends, such as use of social media and mobile applications/telehealth, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled asset tracking, or expert systems/artificial intelligence, and how they may impact nursing practice and healthcare delivery.Post a brief description of general healthcare technology trends, particularly related to data/information you have observed in use in your healthcare organization or nursing practice. Describe any potential challenges or risks that may be inherent in the technologies associated with these trends you described. Then, describe at least one potential benefit and one potential risk associated with data safety, legislation, and patient care for the technologies you described. Next, explain which healthcare technology trends you believe are most promising for impacting healthcare technology in nursing practice and explain why. Describe whether this promise will contribute to improvements in patient care outcomes, efficiencies, or data management. Be specific and provide examples.