My video will focus on a very important topic, namely distance medicine. I have reviewed several articles and identified three main ones on which my work is based. The first is an article by Giulio Nittari and others, which is reliable because quotations from books and methodologies in the medical field support it. The second article is also about telemedicine and is authored by Calton Brook and others. The third article is about the disease that served as the basis for my script by Monish S Raut and others. Evidence and research also support the article, making it credible.
Remote medical assistance provides the possibility of providing the patient with counseling, diagnostics, and treatment services using means of remote communication through the exchange of information in electronic form, including through the transmission of electronic messages and video conferencing (Nittari et al., 2020). This assistance is provided to ensure that the patient has timely access to the medical care of adequate quality, including if distance and time are critical factors in its provision. In order to provide the same quality care to everyone, this type of patient care was created.
Caitlynn Bergan, a two-year-old girl, was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted to Valley City Regional Hospital. After being hospitalized, she was given a cystic fibrosis diagnosis. Caitlynn weighed 20.7 pounds when she was admitted, indicating malabsorption. Caitlynn and her family reside in the rural community of McHenry, and the hospital is two hours away. Caitlynn’s parents, who are not married, put in much overtime at work. Caitlynn’s pediatrician, Dr. Benjamin, lacks the expertise to manage cystic fibrosis. Dr. Benjamin will collaborate with the medical professionals to treat Caitlynn’s current health issues while minimizing her trips to and from Valley City Regional Hospital. Pediatricians, social workers, nurses, and respiratory therapists would create a science-based plan to help manage Caitlynn’s health condition in her small community. A high-calorie and high-protein diet with fat-soluble vitamins and pancreatic enzymes was all part of the intervention process. Aerosol therapy and chest physiotherapy were also started. Social workers established a support group to assist Caitlynn in coping with the local chronic illness.
Treatment of pneumonia involves taking antibiotics. The preferred first-line antibiotic is amoxicillin in dispersible tablets. These cases can be diagnosed and treated with inexpensive oral antibiotics at the community level by trained community health workers. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia. The attending physician supervises the therapists at the hospital in the city where the girl lives. This allows quality care to be provided under the supervision of a highly qualified physician. A physician from the regional hospital consults with the family, aiming for psychological help. The effectiveness of treatment depends largely on the patient’s faith in his recovery and trust in the doctors treating him. The treating physician also helps parents and Caitlin learn more about the disease by giving them access to certain Web sites and literature.
In this scenario, I used a model structure to adapt evidence-based innovation. How nursing care is delivered as distance medicine is an innovation adapted to reality. Caitlin’s attending physician uses evidence-based distance medicine to provide quality care. This practice significantly reduces the cost of care, improves diagnostic quality, and allows for remote health monitoring. This is especially important for patients with chronic conditions. The doctor maintains constant contact with the child’s parents, who are responsible for her medications. The electronic medical record helps the doctor better understand the patient’s condition, review his medical history, and choose the most appropriate treatment. Telecommunications allow the doctor and Caitlin to connect anytime for a consultation. Vila Health has an interdisciplinary team that supports the family online. The app allows the patient and family to support their physical and mental health.
The psychology of chronic illness was a relevant topic for me during my decision to care. The app has plenty of advice and information about illnesses to help the family cope with the child’s chronic illness. Every day they have to deal with uncertainty, stress, and difficulty adjusting to their illness. These struggles lead to developing specific habits and personality traits that distinguish chronic patients from other clinic patients. This is why the focus of care for patients with chronic illnesses must shift toward changing perceptions and improving designation.
One of the main advantages of telemedicine in this scenario is saving time and money. Usually, when visiting a medical institution, patients have to spend much time on their way and then wait in the corridor if the doctor’s appointment is on a first-come, first-served basis. This is particularly difficult for residents of remote communities, who have to travel dozens of kilometers to receive a professional consultation. On the other hand, telemedicine saves considerable time and money by allowing patients to receive medical care directly at home. Another advantage of telemedicine is safety. When visiting any medical institution, there is a possibility of catching a disease or virus. Telemedicine allows patients to avoid unnecessary risks by physically examining patients at home. Video communication has already been shown to be effective during the COVID-19 pandemic (Calton et al., 2020). Physicians working with patients were in contact with their colleagues remotely, enabling effective care and preventing virus spreading.
The third strength of telemedicine is immediacy. Unfortunately, the situation when no doctor with the necessary qualifications in a small village is very typical, and the patient may need urgent consultation. In such circumstances, telemedicine is the only reliable way to diagnose quickly. At the same time, the medical staff of the locality itself can communicate online with the attending physician or convene a consultation with their colleagues via video link to discuss different treatment methods.
In this scenario, the only disadvantage of remote patient-physician collaboration is possible problems with gadgets or Internet connection. Telemedicine equipment, like any other electronic device, requires special care. This is especially true for medical facilities, where disinfectants are used when sanitizing the room, which can ruin the surface of the device. Setting up and administering a video call server requires the help of a qualified IT specialist, which, unfortunately, may be off-staff at a medical institution. To alleviate this problem, I suggest a strategy of gradual computer literacy training for healthcare providers to help them better understand the specifics of remote activities. Adding personnel who will be involved in repairing servers and keeping them in good working order is also necessary.
A possible disadvantage, which is very important in determining the value of remote medicine, is the risk to the doctor. This type of care allows only a visual examination of the patient, which markedly limits the ability to determine a diagnosis correctly. For this reason, many physicians prefer to avoid taking the risk of a full examination. However, it cannot replace a full-fledged visit to a doctor. The patient will still have to visit the hospital for the correct treatment to undergo tests or the necessary diagnostics.
Thus, the technical platform must meet certain, very stringent requirements to take full advantage of remote medicine. In the first place is a stable operation in multilateral communication mode, as well as high image quality and detail. Without exaggeration, a patient’s life may depend on graphic resolution, color rendition, and picture clarity. Therefore, an effective videoconferencing system for telemedicine should support stable image transmission in 4K format.
References
Calton, B., Abedini, N., & Fratkin, M. (2020). Telemedicine in the time of coronavirus. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60(1), e12-e14. Web.
Nittari, G., Khuman, R., Baldoni, S., Pallotta, G., Battineni, G., Sirignano, A., Amenta, F. & Ricci, G. (2020). Telemedicine practice: review of the current ethical and legal challenges. Telemedicine and e-Health, 26(12), 1427-1437. Web.
Raut, M. S., Kar, S., Maheshwari, A., Shivnani, G., & Dubey, S. (2019). Perioperative management in a patient with panhypopituitarism–evidence based approach: a case report. European Heart Journal-Case Reports, 3(3), ytz145. Web.