Innovation is considered an important aspect of healthcare. As discussed in different case studies in this paper, innovation improves access to healthcare hence better quality and safe care. In case study 11, two diabetic patients do not schedule an appointment with their doctors. The major problem is that they have to drive miles away to see a specialist. According to one of them, traveling to see the specialist is equivalent to a day’s pay. As a result, despite the fact that their blood glucose is uncontrollable and need urgent care, they are unable to see a specialist/make appointments because of distance. The main problem identified in this case study is access to care. The patients are unable to access the care they need because of the geographical distance between them and the healthcare provider. However, after the use of technology, TeleVisit, one of the patients, can attend an appointment with a specialist virtually. For patients to access healthcare services without having to travel for long distances to see a healthcare provider, TeleVisits are applicable. Through videoconferences, patients and healthcare providers can have appointments and have the health of patients assessed. This is especially essential for patients in remote areas or elderly patients who may not find it easy to travel over long distances. With the increased use of technology in healthcare, the use of TeleVisits is applicable in today’s healthcare environment to provide timely care and ensure access to healthcare services.
Different from case study 11 that involves making doctor visits using technology, case study 11 involves the application of technology to monitor a patient’s health. In the case study, Isabelle is concerned about her ability to make regular visits to the doctor’s office for monitoring her blood sugar after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. She has a busy schedule that involves her work and son. Besides, she is concerned that her finances would become more constrained because she does not earn much. To ensure that her blood sugar and blood pressure are monitored regularly for any changes, the doctor recommends Telemonitoring. Both TeleVisit and Telemonitoring make it possible for patients to exchange information with their healthcare providers remotely, without having to travel to a healthcare facility. Through Telemonitoring, Isabelle would have her health monitored in her busy environment and appropriate action taken in case of any identified problems. Patients and healthcare providers can connect remotely using current technology in healthcare. Therefore, Telemonitoring, is applicable in today’s healthcare environment. In addition, Telemonitoring is cost-effective hence suitable for patients concerned about costs. For example, by using Telemonitoring, Isabelle would significantly reduce the chances of being rushed into the emergency room because her blood glucose and blood pressure would be kept under close watch for any changes and appropriate actions taken.
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The major problem presented in case study 13 is the language barrier between the patient and her physician. Mrs. Martinez does not understand English, while the doctor cannot communicate in Spanish, which is the language that the patient understands. The patient’s daughter initially acts as an interpreter, but she has limited fluency in Spanish. As a result of the problem, the patient is unable to interact with and understand what the physician is saying. Also, the problem causes agitation between the patient and her daughter. As seen from the case study, the language barrier in healthcare can affect satisfaction as well as communication between healthcare providers and patients. This can result in adverse effects. Once the doctor identifies the problem, he requests his medical assistant to bring the healthcare facility’s portable videoconferencing unit into the office. The doctor uses Health Care Interpreter Network to contact a Spanish translator who is immediately available and can be seen on the screen to solve the problem of the language barrier between him and his patient. Therefore, with the interpreter, both the doctor and his patient can effectively communicate with one another. The scenario is applicable in today’s healthcare environment. Healthcare providers see patients from diverse backgrounds daily. Diversity in patients means that besides other factors, language among patients is diverse. Since healthcare providers cannot have an understanding of all languages, using the Health Care Interpreter Network for translation is essential.
The major issues presented in case study 14 are pharmacist shortage and patient safety in relation to medication. In the case study, Dr. Bob is not aware that the resistant patterns to routine antibiotics have changed in pneumonia. Therefore, he prescribes the routine antibiotic regimen to the patient but lucky enough. The hospital’s epharmacist on call is aware of the changes in resistance and recommends a more effective treatment. The ePharmacy program provides a solution to the problem. If the antibiotics initially prescribed by the doctor were administered, the patient’s condition would have worsened, leading to admission to the intensive care unit. In addition, the e-Pharmacy program solves the pharmacist shortage problem in the hospital. Through the use of technology, the hospital can have a trained and qualified pharmacist to support clinicians with effective and timely approaches to medication dispensation. The number of pharmacists today is limited, and given the increased changes in medication as a result of resistance by disease-causing microorganisms, the use of ePharmacists is applicable in healthcare to ensure quality and safe care. All the case studies are similar in that they apply technology-based approaches to solve various issues related to healthcare access, delivery, and patient safety. Remote provision of healthcare services such as monitoring and dispensing of medication is made possible. Geographical limits are overcome. The technology-based solutions contribute to the improvement of quality and safety of care provided hence better patient outcomes.
