Telehealth is the application of digital resources and technologies to provide and manage healthcare services remotely. It also involves the use of videoconferencing and telephones to deliver healthcare. Telehealth has been used traditionally to provide quality care to vulnerable populations and is increasingly becoming a standard method in modern healthcare delivery (Rutledge et al., 2017). The dramatic alteration in healthcare mirrored by amplified severe illness, staff shortage, and directives to decrease healthcare costs has made it essential for nurses to embrace the technology. Essentially, the use of the tool grants numerous opportunities that address these healthcare concerns. However, some characteristics of telehealth affect therapeutic communication and patient-practitioner relationship. Theoretically, the advance can depersonalize the patient-nurse relationship due to participatory improvements and barriers (Gordon et al., 2020). Further, it may influence communication through the involvement of third parties, expert social distancing, and unevolved delivery customs and standards.
Additionally, modern telehealth technology is made to imitate in-person experiences between users. More significantly, the need for a positive practitioner-patient relationship is indisputable. The opportunity for patients and doctors to cultivate an acquaintance with one another improves care since it becomes more personalized to the individual (Rutledge et al., 2017). Although the technology does not fully substitute in-person care delivery, it enhances patient-doctor relationships in numerous ways. Also, it lessens the distance between health practitioners and patients, which enhances their relationship. The tool is used to improve patient communication and patient monitoring frequency, which is easier for doctors to track a patient’s progress (Tuckson et al., 2017). Frequent communication affects consultation efforts and might input confidence, which may enable patient revelation and collaboration. It might also impact the level of victim and practitioner involvement in the course of medical encounters. Despite the operational flaws, available research shows outstanding patient satisfaction with telehealth regarding travel, time saved, and quick access to specialists.
References
Gordon, H. S., Solanki, P., Bokhour, B. G., & Gopal, R. K. (2020). “I’m not feeling like I’m part of the conversation” patients’ perspectives on communicating in clinical video Telehealth visits. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(6), 1751-1758. Web.
Rutledge, C. M., Kott, K., Schweickert, P. A., Poston, R., Fowler, C., & Haney, T. S. (2017). Telehealth and eHealth in nurse practitioner training: Current perspectives. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 8, 399. Web.
Tuckson, R. V., Edmunds, M., & Hodgkins, M. L. (2017). Telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(16), 1585-1592. Web.