The rapid advancements in technology have revolutionized health care by improving the accessibility and availability of care to patients. One of the major hits of technology in healthcare is telehealth, which involves the application of electronic and telecommunication solutions in supporting care delivery and services from remote locations (Neville, 2018). In recognition of the rapid increase in chronic illness occurrence, self-management, and remote care must be the future of healthcare. This annotated bibliography reviews existing literature on the application of telehealth-based interventions in the management and monitoring of chronic illnesses and epidemic situations in remote areas. It evaluates the impacts of technology on patient safety and quality of care. It also evaluates the relevance of telehealth systems to nursing practice and the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
Research Process
I accessed ProQuest and PubMed Central databases using my library login credentials to retrieve peer-reviewed articles on telemedicine and telehealth systems. The keywords for the searches were telehealth, telemedicine, chronic illnesses, remote management, and patient safety. I limited the search to peer-reviewed scholarly articles, which had to be relevant to health care and published within the last five years. Further, I ensured the publication type was a journal article on healthcare and nursing. Articles that satisfied the outlined conditions were reviewed to evaluate their relevance to my study. Selected articles covered health care issues such as impacts of telehealth systems in managing chronic illnesses and remote monitoring of terminally ill patients.
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Annotated Bibliography
Lamothe, L., Paquette, M. A., Fortin, J. P., Labbé, F., Messikh, D., & Duplantie, J. (2013). Using Tele-homecare to Improve Chronic Disease Monitoring. Sante Publique , 25 (2), 203-211. The purpose of the study was to understand how telecare technologies can be used in the improvement of services offered to patients with chronic diseases. The research population was elderly Canadians diagnosed with one of the target chronic diseases (COPD, heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes). Data was collected through participatory observations, documentary analysis, and interviews of the patients who were asked to use tele-homecare facilities. Results from the study identified that telehealth systems significantly benefited the patients by increasing their capacity to self-manage their conditions. This was achieved by enabling the patients to access more information about their health and the educational program that was part of the intervention. It was also identified that the tele-homecare facilities promoted the interprofessional practice and improved the efficacy of clinical decision-making by fostering the professional’s access to information and evidence-based practice. The authors then conclude that tele-homecare technology helps in the creation of the necessary conditions for improved service delivery to patients with chronic diseases by healthcare organizations. Such conditions are outlined as interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-based practice in care provision, and constant patient participation. This implies that collaboration and information access are paramount to the multidisciplinary health care team utilizing telehealth systems for remote care of people with chronic diseases.
Ohannessian, R. (2015). Telemedicine: Potential applications in epidemic situations. European Research in Telemedicine/La Recherche Européenne en Télémédecine , 4 (3), 95-98.
The research is premised on the consideration of the potential for telemedicine application in epidemic situations. It conceptualizes the application of telemedicine in five possible evidence-based epidemic situations to evaluate the potential for improving care delivery. The first situation is the application of telemedicine in the teleconsultation of home-based asymptomatic individuals living in epidemic-affected areas. Emergency medical dispatching can be done in the event suspicious symptoms are detected. The second application is the follow-up telemonitoring of the individuals. The study identified validated the efficacy of the follow-ups by reviewing their use in the Ebola virus epidemic in Africa. The third application is the isolation of symptomatic patients in epidemic situations. The fourth application is the provision of tele-expertise in cases where local facilities lack technical expertise for diagnosis and treatment. Tele-expertise support is offered from reference centers in such situations. The fifth application is the use of telemedicine to provide care to patients who cannot access a quarantined facility. From the review of the five applications, the authors conclude that telemedicine has great potential in enhancing investigation, disease control, and clinical case management in epidemiological situations. Therefore, healthcare professionals need to engage in collaborative discussions about how to realize the potential for delivering care to epidemic-affected locations. The depiction of unrealized potential was the basis for the article’s inclusion in this bibliography.
Orozco-Beltran, D., Sánchez-Molla, M., Sanchez, J. J., Mira, J. J., & ValCrònic Research Group. (2017). Telemedicine in primary care for patients with chronic conditions: the ValCrònic Quasi-Experimental Study. Journal of medical Internet research , 19 (12), e400.
In this article, the authors provide a quasi-experimental study that assesses the effectiveness of the ValCronic program. The study objective was the evaluation of the impacts of telemonitoring on patients with long-term conditions and at risk of rehospitalization. The focus population was diabetics, COPD, hypertension, and heart failure patients, who reported relevant health information using tablets. This information was then documented in their EHR records automatically. The intervention was carried out for a year, after which the before and after intervention situations were assessed. Among the noted implications of the intervention was the reduction in weight, and proportions of people with high systolic and diastolic, blood pressures, and hemoglobin. Moreover, there was a decrease in the number of calls for emergency services, admissions, and disease exacerbation. From the findings, the authors concluded that ValCronic telemonitoring of patients with high rehospitalization or emergency department visit risks is useful in improving disease control and resource use efficiency. This is directly linked to nursing practice and interdisciplinary health care since the ValCronic program requires the utilization of an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach. Therefore, all providers must acquaint themselves with telemonitoring systems for the realization of the associated patient care benefits.
Neville, C. W. (2018). Telehealth: A Balanced Look at Incorporating This Technology into Practice. SAGE Open Nursing , 4 , 2377960818786504.
This article is an exploration of the use of telehealth systems and the ability to provide health care to patients by leveraging technology and telecommunication. The report acknowledges the growth of telehealth systems use, which has enabled the involvement of multiple medical specialties and the provision of care to broader patient populations. The authors aim at identifying positive outcomes of telehealth and potential barriers. Among the identified telehealth uses that are pertinent to epidemic control and management of chronic illnesses are teleconsultations and remote patient monitoring. Video conferencing, phone calls, and text messages are some of the tools used in teleconsultations. Interdisciplinary healthcare teams are involved in telemonitoring and teleconsultations, which involve health evaluations, follow-up appointments, monitoring of vitals, and efficiency improvement. The associated benefits are improved patient outcomes, reduce mortality, and reduction in healthcare costs. Potential barriers are the legal and ethical concerns on fraud, privacy, and other malpractice liabilities associated with the security of electronic health information. Furthermore, disparities in licensure and standards in different states may limit the utilization of telehealth systems. The author concludes that telehealth systems have significantly improved healthcare through cost reduction and improved access to care despite potential concerns. Further, they argue that telehealth enhances interprofessional consultation and communication.
Conclusion
Collectively, the articles outline key applications of telehealth systems in the provision of care, their impacts, and the emerging challenges. The identified uses are tele-home care for terminally ill patients, teleconsultation, and telemonitoring of people with chronic illnesses, as well as epidemic situations. Notably, the potential for telehealth in healthcare delivery and management in epidemic situations is highlighted. The major benefits of telehealth to patients are improved access to specialized care, reduction of the cost of care, and improved patient outcomes. Providers, on the other hand, are able to communicate and collaborate effectively through telehealth technologies, hence enhancing the overall efficiency and productivity of the interdisciplinary health care team.
References
Lamothe, L., Paquette, M. A., Fortin, J. P., Labbé, F., Messikh, D., & Duplantie, J. (2013). Using Tele-homecare to Improve Chronic Disease Monitoring. Sante Publique , 25 (2), 203-211.
Neville, C. W. (2018). Telehealth: A Balanced Look at Incorporating This Technology into Practice. SAGE Open Nursing , 4 , 2377960818786504.
Ohannessian, R. (2015). Telemedicine: Potential applications in epidemic situations. European Research in Telemedicine/La Recherche Européenne en Télémédecine , 4 (3), 95-98.
Orozco-Beltran, D., Sánchez-Molla, M., Sanchez, J. J., Mira, J. J., & ValCrònic Research Group. (2017). Telemedicine in primary care for patients with chronic conditions: the ValCrònic Quasi-Experimental Study. Journal of medical Internet research , 19 (12), e400.
