The need to improve the delivery of quality care to patients has led to the innovation of various technological practices in the healthcare system. Following the application of devices such as computers, mobile phones, and laptops, nurses are capable of contacting sick individuals to offer required care services irrespective of the location of the patient. The approach has proven significant, especially in promoting care delivery to communities that have constraints that make it challenging for them to access the services. In addition, it enables physicians to interact and collaborate by sharing skills and knowledge necessary to improve the quality of services. The incorporation of telehealth technology in nursing is becoming a fundamental strategy that providers are using to counter issues, including overcrowding in clinics and limiting in-patient visits. Most hospitals have adopted the technology system to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of patient care in the healthcare setting. The focus of the annotated bibliography is to provide insight on how telehealth technologies facilitate timely intervention and remote monitoring that reduce hindrance to rural care, which makes improves quality services.
I choose the topic of telehealth because of its ability to improve care delivery beyond healthcare settings. Telehealth technology is essential because it covers arrays of application that allows patients to interact and communicate their issues to their respective nurses. It provides adequate platforms, including remote monitoring and other related services that make it suitable for improving the quality and outcome of care delivery. I used a literature review to collect relevant information about telehealth and its application in the healthcare system. To access the related topic details, I used PubMed and CINAHL databases because they provide relevant sources covering the choice of technology to the present date. Some of the search terms I used are “telehealth in healthcare” and “the importance of telehealth in improving patient care delivery.”
Carroll, K. (2018). Transforming the art of nursing: Telehealth technologies. Nursing Science Quarterly, 31(3), 230-232.
In this article, Carroll discusses the art of transforming nursing by adopting the use of telehealth technologies. The focus of the research paper is on improving nursing practices by incorporating an e-health system. The researcher challenges the perception of people to stop viewing telehealth based on its financial burden but rather as the opportunity to effectively transform and operationalize the art of care delivery. According to the study, technologies have been in use for a long period to pass information from one place to another to improve health conditions. The research paper indicates how telehealth was used during the American civil war to rely on information concerning the number of casualties. It, therefore, facilitates the work of an interdisciplinary team by allowing them to communicate with their team members effectively during consultation. The piece of work examines the application of e-health and how it impacts the provision of efficient care services that enhance the safety of sick individuals. The resource has reliable details on the usage and success of the technology in the medical field; hence reading it will enable nurses to embrace its implementation in the healthcare setting.
Alexander, G. L., Powell, K. R., & Deroche, C. B. (2021). An evaluation of telehealth expansion in US nursing homes. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(2), 342-348.
This article focused on telehealth use in nursing homes. It gives deep insight into how healthcare facilities in the US have adopted the application of the technologies. The authors conducted a survey whereby over 664 surveys were completed relating to information maturity and telehealth. The research study by Alexander et al. aimed to explore the extent of telehealth usage in nursing homes. According to their findings, there is a significant correlation between e-health technologies and features of nursing homes. Based on this article, it is evident that most healthcare facilities have started using the technologies to enhance the effectiveness of patient care delivery. Its ability to facilitate remote patient monitoring and quick consultation among the providers has made the implementation of the tech to be significant. Concerning the interdisciplinary teams, e-health allows them to minimize the usage of limited resources due to the ability to access information without the need to travel. The article was chosen because it examines the extent to which hospitals are using the technologies to facilitate operations. By reading the resource, healthcare professionals will gain insight into different applications of the technology to promote better services.
May, S., Jonas, K., Fehler, G. V., Zahn, T., Heinze, M., & Muehlensiepen, F. (2021). Challenges in current nursing home care in rural Germany and how they can be reduced by telehealth-an exploratory qualitative pre-post study. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1-10.
In this article, May et al. discuss challenges that nursing homes in rural areas experience and how they can be effectively reduced by the application of telehealth technologies. The researchers examined the effects of implementing a consultation process that is video-based. The authors conducted an interview that involved nurses and medical, technical assistants in exploring in-depth the impacts that medical video meetings can bring to the healthcare setting. During the investigation, May et al. recorded several challenges providers are likely to encounter without the use of the technologies. Some of the issues include delayed treatment and possible loss of patient details. The research paper explores the application of e-health, such as video conferences, and how they facilitate remote patient care, especially for rural residents. This makes the technology significant for nurses and sick individuals. Moreover, interdisciplinary teams can easily consult each other, especially during diagnosis, to ensure accurate results. The article is useful to health professionals because it deeply examines how challenges such as social distance can be managed by the application of technology to enable efficient patient care delivery.
Wu, Y. (2021). Utilization of telehealth and the advancement of nursing informatics during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(4), 367.
The article by Wu focuses on the usage of telehealth nursing during the period of COVID-19. The piece of work indicates how e-health technology was employed during the pandemic to facilitate the delivery of patient care despite the social distance factor that hindered people from physically accessing the healthcare facilities. According to the research paper, the virus made the use of telehealth dominant despite being hesitant in the application before the breakout of COVID-19. Based on the article, telehealth technologies such as video conferences allowed nursing professionals to attend to the needs of sick individuals at their remote locations. The application enabled the hospitals to reduce infection due to minimized personal contact. Moreover, providers had an easy way to communicate and share responsibilities using the technology, which ensured the practice was not disrupted. Similarly, it increases the potential of physicians to consult experts in different specialized clinical areas, thus promoting efficacy in healthcare provision. The article explores the application of technology to provide healthcare services. The resource is, therefore, significant to practitioners because it examines the usage of e-health in hospital facilities which gives them knowledge on its use.
Summary of Recommendation
Based on the above articles, telehealth technology has become a significant part of care delivery in healthcare settings. The technologies have proven vital in enabling nurses to attend to the needs of patients remotely and promptly, saving them from possible delays in treatments. In addition, e-health is relevant in nursing practice because it facilitates effective and efficient care provision by enabling doctors to engage in a medical video consultation. Such practices are fundamental in improving the safety and well-being of sick individuals. The pieces of work depict core areas where the tech has been applied to enhance care outcomes. Based on the articles, the implementation of telehealth technologies serves a more significant purpose in promoting patient care delivery and safety than the associated shortcomings as a result of its adoption.
Before selecting the type of technology to implement in the healthcare setting, several factors are considered. In the case of telehealth, an organization must consider the availability of resources such as computers and internet services that will facilitate the operation of such technologies. Similarly, healthcare management has to evaluate the need for training to ensure nurses are capable of using the tech effectively to support their practices. Moreover, organizational policies have the ability to determine the extent to which e-health will be applied in nursing engagements. Following the pieces of evidence indicated in the articles above, I believe hospitals should embrace the application of telehealth services in healthcare delivery to enhance patient safety. According to the work of May et al. (2021), implementing e-health practices will ensure home nursing services are improved, and residents will benefit from timely care provision by the nurses. Using the technologies will ensure sick individuals ask their queries to doctors and obtain immediate feedback leading to proper decision-making that can better their health status.
References
Alexander, G. L., Powell, K. R., & Deroche, C. B. (2021). An evaluation of telehealth expansion in US nursing homes. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(2), 342-348.
Carroll, K. (2018). Transforming the art of nursing: Telehealth technologies. Nursing Science Quarterly, 31(3), 230-232.
May, S., Jonas, K., Fehler, G. V., Zahn, T., Heinze, M., & Muehlensiepen, F. (2021). Challenges in current nursing home care in rural Germany and how they can be reduced by telehealth-an exploratory qualitative pre-post study. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1-10.
Wu, Y. (2021). Utilization of telehealth and the advancement of nursing informatics during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(4), 367.