Introduction
In the post-discharge period, patients require the attention of their healthcare providers in terms of effective follow-up procedures and overall monitoring. Physical examinations are an essential part of this process because they show a cohesive ‘picture’ of how a patient is recovering. Despite the usefulness of telehealth services in the context of monitoring, it presents some challenges for patients with disadvantages. Thus, the paper will discuss the cost of using telehealth for the purpose of follow-up.
Context of the Problem
Telehealth services are associated with the use of telecommunications and virtual technologies to deliver care to patients beyond traditional care settings. Through accessing health care services remotely, patients can receive consultations from their nurses as well as strengthen communication with care providers (Bashir & Bastola, 2018). The main objective of telehealth is to make health care accessible to individuals living in isolated areas as well as those with limited mobility, transportation options, and time.
Limited Physical Examinations
Following discharge, there is a potential for telehealth services limiting the ability of nurses to conduct physical examinations of patients with disadvantages. Despite the fact that live communication technologies can improve follow-up, they are only useful for minor conditions. Physicians may not feel comfortable conducting physical examinations over video chat, which means that patients would inevitably have to visit their health providers in person. Since physical exams are limited, there is a risk of fragmenting care, which may lead to gaps in developed interventions, inappropriate medication use, as well as unnecessary care (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017).
Lack of Technology Reliability
Telehealth relies on the use of technologies available to patients and their physicians. Although, the focus should be on the services of healthcare providers and how they can benefit patients’ well-being and self-care practices, which means that the uniqueness of technologies should not be a priority. In addition, regardless of the types of techniques used in telehealth, there is always a risk of disruptions and glitches that limit the quality of communication and care provided to patients. Besides, the use of multiple technologies in telehealth can create extensive data flows that cannot be easily maintained.
Opposition from Healthcare Providers
Healthcare that is based on interactions between physicians and patients through technologies is expected to receive some opposition. Health care providers can resist this innovative method because it creates competition with others. Individual providers may also limit their use of telehealth because they do not want to compete against someone from another state (Board on Health Care Services & Institute of Medicine, 2012). The resistance to technology use for follow-up is still growing with the development of nationwide networks.
Conclusion
The convenience of telehealth-based care makes the tool exceedingly popular among both patients and health care providers. However, it is imperative to consider the limitations of its use, and they can ultimately influence patient outcomes. It was found that telehealthcare prevents practitioners from conducting physical examinations because of the absence of access to regular procedures needed for evaluating patients’ health. Due to the reliance on technologies, disruptions and glitches are inevitable, which may result in gaps in healthcare and subsequent mistakes in treatment. The general resistance from health care providers is another issue to consider because some practitioners may not want to compete against each other for patients.
References
Bashir, A., & Bastola, D. R. (2018). Perspectives of nurses toward telehealth efficacy and quality of health care: Pilot study. JMIR Medical Informatics, 6(2), e35.
Board on Health Care Services & Institute of Medicine. (2012). The role of telehealth in an evolving health care environment: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Telehealth: Technology meets health. Web.