Technology and Telehealth Discussion Paper

Technology and Telehealth Discussion Paper

Technology and Telehealth Discussion Paper

Slide 2: Introduction and Objectives

The use of technology in healthcare provision and delivery continues to expand with integration of various aspects like telemedicine, telehealth, artificial intelligence and electronic health records (EHRs) among others. Health information technology (HIT) offers a host of benefits related to access, quality of care improvement, cost reduction, and improved interactions between providers and patients. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the use of telehealth as part of health technology. The presentation main objectives include the need for telehealth services, and the differences between synchronous and asynchronous telehealth. The paper also incorporates personal views on telehealth and in its final part discusses a new technology change and its impact on nursing.

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Slide 3: Need for Telehealth

Mechanic et al. (2021) define telehealth as the utilization of technology-based virtual platform to deliver different components of health information, and prevention as well as monitoring of medical care and health. Further, telehealth entails delivering and facilitation of health and health-associated services that include medical care, provider and patient interactions and education, health information and self-care management by using telecommunications as well as digital technologies like mHealth or mobile health through portable digital devices. Telehealth enables providers and patients to access services remotely (Fischer et al., 2020). The prevalence of telehealth continues to rise because of its ability to connect providers and patients, allow patients to manage self-care, and access services conveniently in their homes. Effective integration of telehealth requires involvement of all players as such will lead to an effective environment and leadership support for its utilization to attain organizational goals like improving quality of care for patients with chronic conditions.

Slide 4: Need for Telehealth

The increased prevalence and use of telehealth in health care systems arises from the effects that it has on healthcare delivery. Studies show that telehealth is the fastest growing part of health technology with telemedicine being the largest component of this model. Mechanic et al. (2021) observe that the use of telehealth among providers and specialists across the world leads to increased sharing and exchange of patient information that allow them to make better and informed decisions. Telehealth encompasses a host of technologies that include mHealth, video and audio-technologies as well as remote patient monitoring and digital photography (NJEM Catalyst, 2018). The need for telehealth in health care emanate from the ever-innovative technologies that are altering the provision of care to improve overall quality of care, ensure patient safety, and reduction in overall cost of care.

Slide 5: Need for Telehealth

Again, telehealth improves accessibility for patients as they can interact with their providers to attain quality care and reduced cost. In their article, Monaghesh and Hajizadeh, (2021) assert that telehealth provides many benefits to the provision of care. The article advances that increased rates of utilization of this technology is now a standard best practice for many facilities since the emergence of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The authors postulate that telehealth leads to increased levels of patient satisfaction, improvement of efficiency and enable patients in remote areas to access care. Individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension leverage telehealth to improve self-care practices and management to reduce hospital visits and exacerbations of these diseases.

Slide 6: Types of Telehealth: Synchronous Telehealth

In adopting telehealth, facilities and providers should consider if the new telehealth program will be synchronous or asynchronous, or both. While both types of telehealth provide impressive benefits to providers and patients, it is essential to distinguish between them for effective adoption. Synchronous telehealth is considered as real-time or virtual visits that allows patients and providers to have live interactions and exchange information using live videos, prompt observation of behavior, quality of life consults for individual getting palliative care, live physical therapy sessions, phone calls about patient symptoms and real-time care plan education videos and phone conversations. The implication is that synchronous telehealth enhances convenience, improves accessibility and efficiency as it allows patients to communicate with their providers in real-time away from the hospitals (Laubenbacher et al., 2020). Patients can access specialists virtually who they would not access because of geographical, financial and transportation barriers.

Slide 7: Asynchronous Telehealth

Asynchronous telehealth entails taking medical or health information of a patient, storing it and forwarding it a provider. The transmission of this information or data does not occur simultaneously when it is taken. The implication is that asynchronous telehealth is not live but patients forward information and then it is stored until the provider gets a chance to review it, decode their observation or feedback and send it back. The patient also takes time before they can use it. This type of telehealth includes texting, sharing of imaging information like X-Ray and MRI images, videos and education quizzes among other components. This type of telehealth offers efficiency, seamless flow of information and allow providers and patients to interact better.

Slide 8: Personal Opinion on Telehealth

My personal opinion on telehealth is that it is an effective health technology with a host of benefits not just for patients and providers but for the overall public health. Virtual care has provided a lifeline for patients with chronic conditions, especially at the height or peak of the COVID-19 pandemic where several measures were implemented to help stop the spread of the condition. Providers continue to leverage this technology to offer care at reduced cost because these patients do not require physical visits to physicians and other health care experts. The adoption of telehealth protects medical personnel and patients from infectious conditions, especially healthcare associated conditions (HACs) (Monaghesh et al., 2020). Further, using the technology allows radiologists and other providers to interpret diagnostic reports anywhere and seamlessly share their findings. The technology has increased accessibility among seniors living in communities across the United States.

Slide 9: Personal Opinion on Telehealth

The technology allows providers to conserve and use health resources in an optimal manner to ensure that other people can get services. Telehealth supports specialties like psychiatry and effective management of chronic diseases. Today, chronic diseases consume close to 75% of healthcare spending and account for 7 out of every 10 deaths in the country. These diseases increase the frequency of physician visits. Therefore, virtual care approaches like telehealth allow patients and their families to manage this condition effectively (Monaghesh et al., 2020). The implication is that telehealth brings care to populations that require it and enhances remote patient monitoring, especially for individuals with chronic conditions like hypertension.

Slide 10: Article on New Technology Change: Digital Twins

The article by Boulos and Zhang (2021) discusses a new technology revolutionizing the provision of healthcare. This technology is digital twins which provides real-time digital model or replica of objects and processes in healthcare. The digital twins replicate objects and processes by combining several emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and information and communication technologies, big data and robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) to develop a system that can offer solutions like personalized medicine. According to the article, used in medicine and public health, digital twin technology can lead to the much-required radical transformation of traditional electronic health and medical records by focusing on individuals and their aggregates or populations to ensure that they are ready for precision (accuracy) medicine and public health.

Slide 11: New Technology Change: Digital Twins

The article also demonstrates that digital twins as a technology is poised to enable learning and discovery of new knowledge in health care management; especially on disease diagnosis and management. Digital twins of the immune system may have a significant influence since many parts of the bodies and conditions are influenced by the immune system. The article also notes that providers and researchers can generate novel hypotheses and test them to attain their efficacy. Further, the technology may lead to personalized treatment and interventions and the development of smart healthy cities (Monaghesh et al., 2020). A core aspect of using digital twins in public health entails the development of a virtual system to track and manage outbreaks of diseases to ensure that the public is well prepared to respond to such emergencies. China’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic using enhanced digital technologies to create smart healthy cities is a demonstration of the important role that digital twins can play in health care,  particularly public health.

Slide 12: Impact on Nursing

The use of digital twins as a health technology has diverse effects or impact on nursing. In their study, Volkov et al. (2021) conduct a review of different platforms to support smart healthcare. The study outlines digital twins and mobile medicine as well as Internet of Things (IoTs) as effective technologies that can increase care provision and help nurses attain better precision in care. As such, this technology impacts nursing since they are primary care providers that must leverage its benefits to improve the quality of care that they offer to patients. Digital twins’ impacts nursing as it implores them to increase collaboration with other professionals or providers and use health care resources in an optimal manner to enhance delivery.

Slide 13: Impact on Nursing

The use of digital twins is essential for nurses as they seek new knowledge through research and implementation of this model. The technology’s main focus is improvement of personalized care implying that nurses are more inclined to use evidence-based practice interventions that incorporate patient preferences and clinical knowledge as well as experience (Boulos & Zhang, 2020). The adoption of digital twins’ increases or expands the role of nurses, particularly in public health. The implication is that as providers, they increase their focus on interventions to manage public health. 

Slide 14: Conclusion

The presentation demonstrates that use of telehealth as a critical technology entails so many benefits for both providers and patients. Effective management of chronic conditions, increased access to care; especially in remote areas, and seamless sharing of health information among providers are some of the key benefits that telehealth offers. Digital twins is a new emerging technology that has the ability to enhance care provision through its different components focused on personal medicine and care as well as precision medicine and management of public health emergencies.

 

Assignment Description:
Telehealth and Beyond

Create a PowerPoint presentation that addresses each of the following points/questions. Be sure to completely answer all the questions for each bullet point. Use clear headings that allow your professor to know which bullet you are addressing on the slides in your presentation. Support your content with at least three (3) sources using APA citations throughout your presentation. Make sure to cite the sources using the APA writing style for the presentation. Include a slide for your references at the end. Follow best practices for PowerPoint presentations related to text size, color, images, effects, wordiness, and multimedia enhancements. Review the rubric criteria for this assignment.

Describe the need for Telehealth services. Explain the difference between Synchronous Telehealth and Asynchronous Telehealth. Finally, offer your personal opinions related to this new mechanism for health care (first person narration can be used for this final part).

Find an article that discusses another new or upcoming technology change. Discuss the main points of the article related to the technology (remember to cite the article). Then explain how nursing will be directly impacted by this new technology listing one positive and one possible downside.

Title Slide (1 slide)

Objective Slide (1 slide)

Need for Telehealth services. (2-3 slides)

Difference between Synchronous Telehealth and Asynchronous Telehealth. (1-2 slides)

Personal opinions of Telehealth. (1-2 slides)

Article on new or upcoming technology change, with main points regarding technology. (remember to cite the article) (2-4 slides)

How nursing is impacted by the new technology discussed in the article you found. (2-3 slides)

References (1 slide)

The following specifications are required for this assignment:
Length: 11-17 slides; answers must thoroughly address the questions in a clear, concise manner
Structure:
Title slide and reference slides in APA style. (at least 2 slides)
Objective: (1 slide)
Telehealth: (2-3 slides)
Synchronous Telehealth and Asynchronous Telehealth: (1-2 slides) Opinion: (1-2 slides)
Article: (2-4 slides)
Impact: (2-3 slides)
Additionally, because a good presentation has few words on the slides include a script with the verbiage you would say when presenting; script should be a minimum of 50 words per slide.
References: Use the appropriate APA style in-text citations and references for all resources utilized to answer the questions. Include at least three (3) scholarly sources to support your claims.
Format: Save your assignment as a Microsoft PowerPoint document and a Word document (.pptx) and (.doc or .docx) or Open Office Impress.
Filename: Name your saved file according to your first initial, last name, and the module number (for example, “RHall Module1.pptx”)