Telehealth and telemedicine services

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Telehealth and telemedicine services have risen to prominence in the last few years.  I have never personally used telehealth or telemedicine services but as a nurse, I have used them either with or on behalf of a patient.  Those encounters, combined with research have been shown to result in positive outcomes for its use.

Telehealth services have grown in usage because so many different conditions can be diagnosed and treated via using these types of services.  One area that was surprised to see in telehealth and telemedicine is rehabilitation.  It is a field that is new and growing.  It has the capacity to serve large city populations as well as those in underserved areas.  Telerehabilitation can provide the same services as in-person visits can.  That could include “evaluation, assessment, monitoring, prevention, intervention, supervision, education, consultation and coaching” (Kazuko, S., et al. 2022).  These modalities have allowed fewer in-person visits which was a goal of many businesses and industries during the recent pandemic.  These modalities can and are delivered by a wide range of professionals.

There are some challenges to providing care to underserved communities.  Telehealth is not immune to that.  One of the biggest obstacles to overcome is internet access.  Patients need access to broadband internet access and fewer people in rural areas have access to it.

Telehealth medicine has its own set of practice standards.  There are laws that vary depending on which state, jurisdiction, and country the prover and the recipient live   An emphasis has been placed on practitioners understanding the laws and regulations that may affect them.  All of the same issues that must be covered with in-person medicine need to be addressed in telehealth.  First and foremost, HIPPA rules need to be followed and specific states have their own records requirements that must be followed to meet the standard (Faget, K. 2022).

There are some practice changes that will need to be implemented to encourage the success of telehealth services.  Staff should provide patients with literature on what to expect during their appointment.  They should also help patients to become acquainted with the electronic equipment that will be used to complete their appointment.  Practice changes in my line of work may include increased usage of provider care through a digital platform in the ICU. A second practice change that I have experienced is receiving phone calls from radiology for critical image results.  In the past, nurses would monitor the patient chart to see that the results are posted.  Then we would call the provider to let them know they are available.  Now that time is cut short when critical results need to be conveyed to the provider.