What is Telehealth - Essay Example

 What is Telehealth? Telehealth entails the distant provision of health education and health care services, facilitated by high-speed networks and technology. In addition, telehealth incorporates the utilization of telecommunications technologies and electronic information to promote long-distance health administration, clinical health care, public health, and professional and patient health-related education. Telehealth incorporates technologies, for example, terrestrial and wireless communications, videoconferencing, streaming media, store-and-forward imaging, and the internet (Norris, 2012). This paper will look at telehealth, with special focus on teletrauma. Also, telehealth is an extension of telemedicine. Telehealth incorporates promotive, curative, and preventative points of view. In contrast, telemedicine only concentrates on the curative view. Telehealth was initially employed to illustrate educational or administrative duties associated with telemedicine. Nonetheless, contemporary telehealth focuses on a number of technological resolutions. For instance, health professions make use of the email to provide various health services, converse with clients, and order drug prescriptions. One of the most tremendous enhancements in the usage of telehealth is the examination of patients at their homes. In addition, telehealth technologies can be used for both clinical and nonclinical uses. The clinical uses include; one, giving health advice by the means of a telephone in developing cases. Two, telehealth technologies may be used for transmitting medical images. This can also be termed as store and forward telehealth (Norris, 2012). Three, these technologies can be used to provide guidance on the prevention of diseases and advancement of proper health through patient follow-up and monitoring. Four, telehealth technologies may be utilized to transmit medical information for disease management or diagnosis. This can also be explained as remote monitoring. Finally, they enable individuals or groups to share health education or services live through videoconference. Nonetheless, telehealth technologies may be used for nonclinical purposes. First, they can be used for remote admission and patient movement. Second, they are essential in undertaking distant education including grand rounds, patient education, and medical education. Third, they perform administrative functions, for example, presentations, supervision, and conducting meetings between telehealth systems. Fourth, telehealth technologies assist in asset recognition, recording, patient to asset movement, and matching. Fifth, these technologies may help in integrating health care systems and management of information and health information online. Finally, telehealth technologies also assist in the overall health care system management (Norris, 2012). Telehealth forms may be categorized into remote patient monitoring, store and forward telehealth, and real-time health. In remote patient monitoring, the client possesses a central system that provides data from monitoring equipment and sensors, for example, blood glucose meters and blood pressure monitors, to an outside examination center. This can be achieved either by storing and then forwarding the data or it can be done in real time, for example, multi-parameter and cardiac monitoring of distant intensive care units (Norris, 2012). In store and forward telehealth, clinical data, audio, digital images, observations of daily living and video are obtained and recorded on the patients’ mobile device or computer. Later, at a suitable period, they are securely transmitted to a health institution located in a different setting where they are investigated by qualified health professions. In addition, the health professionals’ opinion is transmitted back after the recorded data is adequately investigated by qualified health professionals. This process may last between a minute and forty eight hours, depending on the needs of the participating health care institutions. Plain significant signs, for example, blood sugar values, blood pressure, oximeter, and weight are scrutinized and developed for long term chronic care. In addition, diagnostic tele-audiology and automated screening is increasingly turning into a field significant to store and forward audiology. Finally, in real-time telehealth, a telecommunications connection permits instant interface. One of the most popular forms of real-time telehealth technology entails the use of videoconferencing equipment. In addition, peripheral equipment may also be connected to the video conferencing equipment or computers which can facilitate in an interactive assessment. There is a reduction in hospital costs due to the accessibility to cheap and efficient communication means (Mao, Zhang & Zhai, 2008). This is achieved through uninterrupted two-way video and audio streaming among via computers. Teletrauma refers to an emergency telehealth application which permits the examination and cure of trauma clients via a consult through live, two-way videoconferencing with trauma health professional located at a distant place. Avoidable travels and preventable transfers may be precluded, and clients can get the imperative care they require in total confidence and immediately by accessing a health’s institution telehealth system (Norris, 2012). Nonetheless, teletrauma is only a communication device. It can be compared to a video extension in a phone. Instigating teletrauma does not alter the expectations or patterns of referrals on the location a patient should be taken. If a local health profession links to a center then establishes he is required to refer the patient or client to a different health institution, it is the decision of the health professional to do so. These cameras can move a trauma surgeon very far in a short period, giving substantial experience and advice to other health experts. Advantages Telehealth has a number of advantages with regard to peoples’ wellbeing. First, telehealth can be used to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in providing care for trauma patients, for example, telehealth for trauma triage. Telehealth enables trauma experts to work together with personnel in a disaster event or scene of numerous casualties, through the internet utilizing mobile gadgets, to establish the extent of damages. They can give clinical evaluations and establish if the injured should be given additional care. Two, telehealth enables the patient to be examined within physician office visits. This tremendously decreases visits to the emergency room and hospitalization, while enhancing the quality of life of patients. Finally, telehealth may be utilized as an instructional guide, for example, in the trauma operating room. Trauma surgeons can monitor and consult on occurrences from a distant area using video conference (Saylor, 2012). Disadvantages Telehealth, particularly, teletrauma, depends on live video transmission, for most favorable client management and diagnosis, including the examination of diagnostic images, for example, ultrasound, or x-ray. The camera employed for these purposes should give a real sense of telepresence and sufficient freedom of movement. It is time consuming and difficult to operate such cameras. Second, there can be staff discomfort or resistance to novel technology (Norris, 2012). Financial Aspects Telehealth may decrease health care costs by offering standard access to treatment in distant areas and decreasing unnecessary hospital visits. Patients are eager to miss out on an in-patient with the physician so as to get the treatment they require, without having to make travel arrangements, and in most cases at an affordable cost. These low costs are significant to individuals who have impediments going away from their homes but require follow-up assessments or treatment (Saylor, 2012). Telehealth also helps in facilitating early discharge and preventing unexpected hospital admissions. Security Concerns Telehealth security concerns entail issues for example, accounting, authentication, and authorization which are widespread with most information technology applications such as manufacturing support and banking. Telehealth needs privacy, information security, and physical safety. Physical safety, for instance, detections of falls in exhausted patients have to be remotely examined. Both patient information security and physical safety are essential for the adoption of telehealth technologies and enhancement of the association between patients and physicians (Traynor, 2010). Legal Considerations Policy and legislation are presumed as significant aspects for an effective and efficient telehealth implementation. Physicians engaged in telehealth practices should take into consideration the confidentiality of patients and take complete responsibility for the practice. They have the responsibility of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of patients’ information. Health professionals can face severe legal consequences for reveling vital patient information. Finally, there may be jurisdictional issues related to consultations that go beyond borders (Norris, 2012). References Mao, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zhai, S. (2008). Mobile phone text messaging for pharmaceutical care in a hospital in China. J Telemed Telecare, 14(8), 400-410. Norris, A. C. (2012). Essentials of telemedicine and telecare. New York: John Wiley & Sons Saylor, M. (2012). The mobile wave: How mobile intelligence will change everything. New York: Perseus Books/Vanguard Press.  Traynor, K. (2010). Navy takes telepharmacy worldwide. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 67(6), 1134-1136. Read More