Monitoring Patients Through Telehealth Essay -- Health Care

Introduction Telehealth is the monitoring via remote exchange of physiological data between a patient at home and health care professionals at hospitals or clinics to assist with diagnosis and treatment. As our society ages and health care costs increase, government and private insurance payers are seeking technological interventions. Technological solutions may provide high quality healthcare services at a distance, utilize professional resources more effectively, and enable elderly and ill patients to remain in their own homes. Patients may experience decreased hospitalization and urgent care settings, and out of home care may not be required as the patient is monitored at home. However, no study has been able to prove telehealth benefits conclusively. This change in health care delivery presents new ethical concerns, and new relationship boundaries between health care professionals, patients, and family members. This paper will discuss telehealth benefits in specific patient populations , costs benefits of using telehealth, and concerns of using telehealth. Literature Review Telehealth has shown benefits in monitoring patients with chronic health conditions, decreasing hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and improving treatment regimen compliance at home. Zimmerman & Barnason (2007) investigated the use of telehealth devices with cardiac surgical patients. Health Buddy devices can deliver information, education, and professional support for post-operative cardiac patients. The patient’s responses triggered different algorithms to further individualize post-operative interventions (Zimmerman & Barnason, 2006). Health care professionals were able to monitor recovery at home, progress following cardiac s... ...rsing education. Teaching with Technology, 32(3), 189-194. Mackenzie, R., & Sakel, M. (2011, April/May). Teleneurology: Ethics of devolving responsibilities from clinicians to families and/or carers. British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 7(2), 490-493. Rothwell, E., Ellington, L., Planalp, S., & Crouch, B. (2011, August 25). Exploring challenges to telehealth communication by specialist in poison information. Qualitative Health Research, 22(1), 67-75. doi:10.1177/1049732311420446 Shore, J. H., Brooks, E., Savin, D. M., Manson, S. M., & Libby, A. M. (2007, June). An economic evaluation of telehealth data collection with rural populations. Psychiatic Services, 58(6), 830-835. Zimmerman, L., & Barnason, S. (2006). Use of a telehealth device to deliver a symptom management intervention to cardiac surgical patients. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 22(1), 32-37.