As an APRN, you have an interest in telehealth and feel that current healthcare delivery is influenced by technology, and you expect that to continue in the future. What specifics associated with telehealth care can support your plans to work in a rural clinic as a healthcare provider meeting the needs of a potentially underserved population?

As an APRN, you have an interest in telehealth and feel that current healthcare delivery is influenced by technology, and you expect that to continue in the future. What specifics associated with telehealth care can support your plans to work in a rural clinic as a healthcare provider meeting the needs of a potentially underserved population?

As an APRN, you have an interest in telehealth and feel that current healthcare delivery is influenced by technology, and you expect that to continue in the future. What specifics associated with telehealth care can support your plans to work in a rural clinic as a healthcare provider meeting the needs of a potentially underserved population?

Telehealth

Telehealth, unlike telemedicine, encompasses a broad scope of remote healthcare services. It refers to the provision of healthcare remotely using electronic information and telecommunication technologies (Catalyst, 2018). The current healthcare delivery is influenced by technology. Similarly, the future of the healthcare industry relies heavily on technological aspects such as telehealth. The utilization of telehealth in rural healthcare facilities is associated with several benefits including facilitation of medical care, self-care, and provider and patient education. Likewise, a couple of technologies are employed in telehealth including video and audio technologies, remote patient monitoring, digital photography, store and forward technologies, and mHealth (Catalyst, 2018). However, this piece of paper will focus on exploring the various specifics associated with telehealth care that can support an APRN to work in a rural clinic as a healthcare provider.

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Specifics Associated with Telehealth

Several telehealth specificities can be executed to ensure the healthcare needs of the underserved population are meant by healthcare providers. These include remote patient monitoring, store and forward, telehealth services and applications, mHealth, and audio and video technologies. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) encompasses the gathering, reporting, transmission, and evaluation of patient health data via electronic gadgets such as smartphone apps, smartphone apps, mobile devices, and internet-enabled computers (Hilty et al., 2020). RPM enables healthcare providers to reach patients in their homes. Similarly, patients can compute their weight, vital signs, and blood glucose levels among other measurements, and notify their primary care physicians for appropriate interventions. This program also facilitates patient teaching and coaching which improves overall patient satisfaction.

mHealth refers to healthcare programs and applications on smartphones, tablets, and laptops that can be utilized by patients to enhance access to care and promote better health outcomes (Catalyst, 2018). Today, majority of the Americans possess these devices providing a golden opportunity to promote health. These applications are vital as they permit patients to set medications, appointment prompts, and track health measurements as well as sharing of information with clinicians. Recently, the development of innumerable apps covering hundreds of medical conditions has enhanced patient outcomes in underserved populations. On the other hand, video and audio technologies have facilitated the annihilation of distance by providing appointments utilizing real-time video communication platforms.

Similarly, telehealth services have allowed healthcare delivery to underserved populations by addressing critical concerns such as primary care physician shortages, specialist scarcity, patient education and training, patient engagement, and communication. Additionally, the store and forward telehealth relate to the capturing, storing, and transmission of patient health information for healthcare delivery by employing data storage and transmission technology (Catalyst, 2018). Importantly, these technologies deploy secure serves, routers, and platforms. The stored information can be distributed to specialists and other care team members to assess and aid in patient treatment. Lastly, telehealth has several telehealth resource centers and funding programs that ensure availability and quality services to patients in underserved communities by providing technical and financial assistance. However, several constraints hinder the execution of telehealth including licensure, reimbursement, and broadband (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). Similarly, challenges of privacy and confidentiality, lack of physical assessment, issues of costs, and literacy.

Conclusion

Telehealth is critical to ensuring the delivery of healthcare to rural and underserved populations. It utilizes electronic information and a multitude of telecommunication technologies. Consequently, numerous benefits including convenience, time-saving, decreased costs, efficiency, patient satisfaction, quality care, and increased access are endured by the underserved populations. However, strategies to minimize challenges facing the execution of telehealth must be implemented to optimize the benefits.

References

Catalyst, N. (2018). What is telehealth? NEJM Catalyst. https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.18.0268

Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners: JNP, 17(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013

Hilty, D. M., Gentry, M. T., McKean, A. J., Cowan, K. E., Lim, R. F., & Lu, F. G. (2020). Telehealth for rural diverse populations: telebehavioral and cultural competencies, clinical outcomes and administrative approaches. MHealth, 6, 20. https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth.2019.10.04

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As an APRN, you have an interest in telehealth and feel that current healthcare delivery is influenced by technology, and you expect that to continue in the future. What specifics associated with telehealth care can support your plans to work in a rural clinic as a healthcare provider meeting the needs of a potentially underserved population?