1.

Within the clinical setting, notice the various types of technology and computers used
by nurses and other health care professionals. If you can, notice how the clients react to
the technology. Does it aid or impede client care? What level of technological
competency is needed by the nurses to ensure that the client gets the attention they
need?
 The use of various technology and computers had been a great help to nursing
and other healthcare practices since it greatly makes work a lot easier and
greatly saves time in doing healthcare. One of the things that I’ve noticed that it
impedes in client care is that it creates a temporary insecurity to clients due to
their unfamiliarity with that specific technology. This feeling of insecurity or
unfamiliarity can be relieved through simple health education.
2. Visualize the process of telenursing and telehealth. List the pros and cons of
providing client care from a distance using technology to connect to your clients.
What is Telehealth and Telenursing?
Telehealth- is a collection of means or methods for enhancing health care, public
health, and health education delivery and support using telecommunications
technologies.
Telenursing- refers to the use of telecommunications and information technology in
order to provide nursing services in health care whenever a large physical distance
exists between patient and nurse, or between any number of nurses. As a field it is part
of telehealth, and has many points of contacts with other medical and non-medical
applications, such as telediagnosis, teleconsultation, telemonitoring, etc.

How Does Telehealth Work?

Telehealth can be divided into four types of technology-based services.

 Video Conferencing: Utilizing internet technology, video conferencing allows

healthcare providers, such as nurse practitioners, to speak “face-to-face” with patients.
Video conferencing is best used for consulting, conducting mental health evaluations,
and diagnosing basic ailments.
 Digital Transmission: Internet technology also allows healthcare providers to
read scans, watch pre-recorded videos of patients, and review charts from just about
anywhere.
 Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): RPM is any technology that’s designed to
monitor a patient’s medical issues, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, heartrate, etc.
It can help healthcare providers track patient health data without the need for numerous
appointments.
Mobile Health: Smartphones and tablet technology allow patients to use apps that
provide health information and track health choices, such as calorie intake and exercise.
 a.) What is facilitated?

 It’s Convenient: With telehealth, healthcare providers can move between

patients faster and patients can take care of appointments from home.
 It Can Save Money: By reducing the need for travel, office staff, and office
space, telehealth creates cost-saving efficiencies.
 It Can Expand Access: For those who are homebound or live in underserved
areas, telehealth provides much needed access to healthcare providers.
 It Can Increase Patient Engagement: By making healthcare and health
information easier to obtain, telehealth makes patients more likely to work to improve
lifestyle choices and comply with treatment guidelines.

b.) What is impeded?

 There Can Be Technology Barriers: Telehealth requires patients to have

access to appropriate technology, such as a laptop with video conferencing capability.
Those who can’t get a hold of the appropriate technology can’t benefit from telehealth.
 There Can Be Reduced Continuity of Care: Patients using telehealth may
connect with different providers each time they use a telehealth service. They may also
come to rely on apps rather than in-person exams. This disassociation between patient
and provider can increase the likelihood that medical issues go unrecognized and/or
untreated.
 There Can Be Insurance Issues: Telehealth is still so new that rates, payments,
and patient reimbursements remain in flux. This can complicate matters for both
providers and patients.
 It’s Not Good for Every Situation: While telehealth can help a healthcare
provider assess patient needs, many health services (from surgery to physical
examination) still require a patient to see a provider in-person.

C.) What is missing?

While telehealth has potential for better coordinated care, it also runs the risk of
fragmenting health care. Fragmented care may lead to gaps in care, overuse of medical
care, inappropriate use of medications, or unnecessary or overlapping care. Also, some
people who would benefit most from improved access to care may be limited because
of regional internet availability or the cost of mobile devices.
D.) Is anything added that is not available in routine health care in an agency or clinic?
  Telehealth allows healthcare providers to monitor patients in real-time and adjust
treatment plans when necessary. Ultimately, this leads to better patient
outcomes.
 Healthcare Providers can also benefit from increased revenue. By utilizing
telemedicine, physicians can see more patients without the need to hire more
staff or increase office space. 
 Telehealth also allows for better chronic disease management without needing
the clients to go to the hospital.
 Better medication management. Older adults are more likely to forget to take
their medications, which is where telemedicine comes in. Providers and other
healthcare professionals can use telemedicine technology to monitor when and if
their patients took their medicine. As a result, this leads to fewer hospital
readmissions and enhances medication compliance.
 Telehealth allows better sharing of medical information. Today, primary care
physicians can connect with specialists who are in another location than them.
Healthcare information like diagnostic images, blood analysis, and more can be
shared for appropriate patient assessment in real time.

Personal health records

An electronic personal health record system — often called a PHR system — is a
collection of information about your health that you control and maintain. A PHR app is
accessible to you anytime via a web-enabled device, such as your computer, laptop,
tablet or smartphone.
In an emergency, a personal health record can quickly give emergency personnel vital
information, such as current diagnoses, medications, drug allergies and your doctor's
contact information.

Personal health apps

A multitude of apps have been created to help consumers better organize their medical
information in one secure place. These digital tools may help you:

 Store personal health information.

 Record vital signs.
 Calculate and track caloric intake.
 Schedule reminders for taking medicine.
 Record physical activity, such as your daily step count.
Doctors talking to doctors
Doctors can also take advantage of technology to provide better care for their patients.
One example is a virtual consultation that allows primary care doctors to get input from
specialists when they have questions about your diagnosis or treatment.
The primary care doctor sends exam notes, history, test results, X-rays or other images
to the specialist to review. The specialist may respond electronically, conduct a virtual
appointment with you at your doctor's office, or request a face-to-face meeting.
These virtual consultations may prevent unnecessary in-person referrals to a specialist,
reduce wait times for specialist input and eliminate unnecessary travel.

Remote monitoring
A variety of technologies enable your doctor or health care team to monitor your health
remotely. These technologies include:

 Web-based or mobile apps for uploading information, such as blood glucose

readings, to your doctor or health care team
 Devices that measure and wirelessly transmit information, such as blood
pressure, blood glucose or lung function
 Wearable devices that automatically record and transmit information, such as
heart rate, blood glucose, gait, posture control, tremors, physical activity or sleep
patterns
 Home monitoring devices for older people or people with dementia that detect
changes in normal activities such as falls
Virtual appointments
Some clinics may provide virtual appointments that enable you to see your doctor or a
nurse via online videoconferencing. These appointments enable you to receive ongoing
care from your regular doctor when an in-person visit isn't required or possible.
Other virtual appointments include web-based "visits" with a doctor or nurse practitioner.
These services are generally for minor illnesses, similar to the services available at a
drop-in clinic. Some large companies provide access to virtual doctors' offices as a part
of their health care offerings.
When you log into a web-based service, you are guided through a series of questions.
The doctor or nurse practitioner can prescribe medications, suggest home care
strategies or recommend additional medical care.
Similarly, a nursing call center is staffed with nurses who use a question-and-answer
format to provide advice for care at home. A nursing call center doesn't diagnose an
illness or prescribe medications.
While these services are convenient, they have drawbacks:
 Treatment may not be coordinated with your regular doctor.
 Essential information from your medical history may not be considered.
 The computer-driven decision-making model may not be optimal if you have a
complex medical history.
 The virtual visit lacks an in-person evaluation, which may hamper accurate
diagnosis.
 The service doesn't easily allow for shared doctor-patient decision-making about
treatments or making a plan B if an initial treatment doesn't work
Patient portal
Your primary care clinic may have an online patient portal. These portals offer an
alternative to email, which is a generally insecure means to communicate about private
medical information. A portal provides a more secure online tool to do the following:

 Communicate with your doctor or a nurse.

 Request prescription refills.
 Review test results and summaries of previous visits.
 Schedule appointments or request appointment reminders.
If your doctor is in a large health care system, the portal also may provide a single point
of communication for any specialists you may see.
Consider, for example, the ways telehealth could help you if you have diabetes. You
could do some or all of the following:

 Use a mobile phone or other device to upload food logs, medications, dosing and
blood sugar levels for review by a nurse who responds electronically.
 Watch a video on carbohydrate counting and download an app for it to your
phone.
 Use an app to estimate, based on your diet and exercise level, how much insulin
you need.
 Use an online patient portal to see your test results, schedule appointments,
request prescription refills or email your doctor.
 Order testing supplies and medications online.
 Get a mobile retinal photoscreening at your doctor's office rather than scheduling
an appointment with a specialist.
 Get email, text or phone reminders when you need a flu shot, foot exam or other
preventive care.
The goals of telehealth, also called e-health or m-health (mobile health), include the
following:

 Make health care accessible to people who live in rural or isolated communities.
 Make services more readily available or convenient for people with limited
mobility, time or transportation options.
 Provide access to medical specialists.
 Improve communication and coordination of care among members of a health
care team and a patient.
 Provide support for self-management of health care.

Chronic Disease Management

With high-tech medical devices, physicians can now monitor their patients health over
long distances. Touchscreen technology allows providers to access heart rate, blood
pressure, glucose levels and more through the transmission of data from one device to
another.

Leading telemedicine companies like VSee, assists healthcare organizations in being

able to treat patients with chronic diseases. They recognize that 75% of the United
States healthcare spending is dedicated to treating heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
As a result, they’ve created telemedicine solutions that can keep physicians abreast
from hospital to home. In addition, the patient, their family members, and other
healthcare professionals can collaborate in the patient care process.

Today, when readings fall out of range, a physician can intervene in real time, which
leads to better health outcomes.

Medication Management
Those in the healthcare industry recognize that medication management is a big deal,
especially among seniors. Older adults are more likely to forget to take their
medications, which is where telemedicine comes in. Providers and other healthcare
professionals can use telemedicine technology to monitor when and if their patients took
their medicine. As a result, this leads to fewer hospital readmissions and enhances
medication compliance.

Sharing Medical Information

Store and forward, a type of telemedicine that allows providers to share information over
a distance, has been a game changer. Today, primary care physicians can connect with
specialists who are in another location than them. Healthcare information like diagnostic
images, blood analysis, and more can be shared for appropriate patient assessment in
real time.