Sunday, 18 November 2018

The Role Of Telehealth In The Modern Medical Practice

By Ruth Hill


The world today is run by telecommunication systems which continue to get advanced by the day. Healthcare service providers can leverage on this technology to make their services accessible to more people. Telehealth, as It is popularly know, is an emerging concept in health services provision. It encompasses a wide range of services including health education, consultation and treatment of various medical conditions. It is also termed e-health or electronic health.

There are several factors that have led to this change of practice. The main driver for the change appears to be improved technology. Sharing of videos and pictures is very easy today and live chats have made things even more real time. Patients and their healthcare providers can thus be in touch regularly. Another important improvement has occurred in the pharmaceutical industry. Today, there are many effective drugs that can be safely administered at home hence no need for admission to hospital.

The management of chronic conditions is perhaps one area that has benefited the most after a significant number of physicians adopted the technology. Persons suffering from conditions such as heart failure, asthma, hypertension and diabetes often have to make regular trips to their physicians for check up and continuation or change of medication. This is both exhausting and expensive. This technology has made it possible to do all this remotely.

Telenursing is a concept built around this idea. It involves provision of various nursing services through telecommunication devices. This enables a registered nurse to attend to various clients with chronic illnesses who require home based care. Even without being physically present, the nurse can communicate with the client and advice them as necessary. This makes it possible for one nurse to serve several patients from the comfort of their office.

Registered nurses have also taken advantage of this technological advancement and are now engaging in what is known as telenursing. This is a system of nursing where a registered nurse provides their services without being physically present. This system has been quite helpful for patients with chronic conditions in remote locations who for one reason or another are living alone. It is a cheaper option as compared to the traditional form of home based care.

Disruptions within any industry are usually associated with some form of resistance. The same was observed in the healthcare space with the advent of this technology. Part of the resistance was by older doctors who found it difficult to adjust from face to face consultations to those built around computer software. There was unfounded fear of losing jobs to computers.

Patients have had fewer problems making adjustments. A few, however, have some reservations. One area that has been troubling this group is the issue of privacy. They have been worried that information considered to be private and confidential may find itself in the wrong hands. This has turned out not to be as easy as was thought initially due to the use of multilevel security systems.

The use of telecommunication systems in the provision of healthcare services is a train that has already left the station. Stakeholders need to accept and carve out their space. Although a number of concerns still exist, there is no doubt that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Many patients are projected to be beneficiaries of these systems in years to come.




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