Telehealth is one of the modern aspects in healthcare and nursing that helps patients and physicians improve the quality of care and provide access to medicinal help for vulnerable populations. However, it is an important modification not only for rural or remote communities but also for the whole society. For example, O’Kane (2020) explains that his research showed more enhancement of visiting telehealth rather than face-to-face meetings among the patients regardless of the area they live in. Those modified telehealth systems are beneficial for immediate consultations with a specialist in cases of necessity and save the time needed for locomotion.
Telehealth helps improve patient care in many different ways from comfortable appointments to the personal online solution for the problem. Mataxen and Webb (2019) define such benefits of telehealth as services not related to separate or specific entities, hospital contact centers on any level (regional or governmental), and access to medical help 24 hours a day. Additionally, telehealth saves locomotion time, and this allows physicians to take more patients which raises productivity and satisfaction as well. However, several drawbacks concern the utilization of such check-ups as well. They are generally connected with physicians’ inability to examine the patients’ state and fulfill such procedures as taking their temperature or blood pressure, looking into their throat, or palpating the belly. Hence, such consultations may provoke an increase in the number of incorrect diagnoses.
Social media play a huge role in people’s everyday lives; therefore, their implementation in patient care might affect the health system positively. Fang and Chuo (2021) underline that telehealth broadens access to specialty care and allows to avoid unnecessary transfer by looking for the needed and qualified specialist. Despite minor discrepancies and risks concerning the idea of this technology implementation, the overall perspective of its utilization seems to be quite beneficial for both patients and their doctors.
References
Fang, J. L., & Chuo, J. (2021). Using telehealth to support pediatricians in newborn care. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 51(1), 1-10. Web.
Mataxen, P. A., & Webb, L. D. (2019). Telehealth nursing: More than just a phone call. Nursing2021, 49(4), 11-13. Web.
O’Kane, G. (2020). Telehealth – Improving access for rural, regional, and remote communities. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 28(4), 419-420. Web.