The Definition of Telemedicine (Term Paper Sample)

Telemedicine
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
Telemedicine
Telemedicine Definition
Telehealth is an important public health tool that impacts medically underserved populations through its increased accessibility, increased prevalence as a key care standard, and impact on provider-patient connection (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Ultimately, much money is saved in healthcare expenditures. This technology enables off-site expert physicians to make consultations in real-time with healthcare providers and in-charge nurses, observing patients for any form of clinical deterioration and improvement. Additionally, health care providers and patients can capture information from medical devices from different locations. Applying telemedicine can enable patients to see doctors for diagnosis and treatment without scheduling a face-to-face appointment.
Telemedicine use in the past, now (Covid 19) and future.
The ideology of telemedicine dated back to the 1800s and started by hospitals trying to reach patients in remote locations. This concept was then developed into an integrative system across the healthcare field. First, telemedicine creation started with the inception of telecommunication infrastructures such as radio, telephone, and telegraph. For instance, during the civil war, telegraphs were used to report casualties, injuries and ordering medical supplies. The end of the 19th century saw improvements in the field as the telephone was reported to reduce unnecessary doctor appointments (Rotker & Velez, 2020).
The 20th century saw radiological images shared between medical staff from different health facilities, twenty-four miles apart in Pennsylvania. Later in 1960, neurological examinations were transmitted by scholars of the University of Nebraska to students through a two-way interactive television (Rotker & Velez, 2020). Closed-circuit television was developed six years later, and it enables physicians to offer psychiatric aid for a radius of 112 miles from the hospital (Rotker & Velez, 2020).
Currently, many people have access to telemedicine devices. Therefore, people in rural regions and busy urban areas can link with healthcare providers easily. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the rate at which telemedicine has been embraced. In as much as there is more work that needs to be done to make telemedicine better, Covid-19 created the perfect conditions to depict telemedicine as a safe approach for patients (Rotker & Velez, 2020). The illness has normalized seeing healthcare practitioners through the computer screen. Thus, it is highly unlikely that patients that enjoyed the opportunity of reducing their general appointment time to spend with their nurse will opt for the old model of visiting the hospital, which is time-consuming (Rotker & Velez, 2020).
The future of telemedicine will be marked by numerous advances in video platforms, home testing, and supportive technologies that will enhance telemedicine for the coming days. Pros and cons of telemedicine (benefits and barriers)
Telemedicine technology is increasingly being employed as a cost-effective and efficient model for delivering good healthcare services and results. Therefore, telemedicine is likely to minimize the country’s healthcare expenditures by eradicating challenges such as medication misuse, unnecessary hospital visits, and extended hospitalizations (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). Telemedicine offers access to resources and cares for victims in rural regions and provider shortages. Thus, it enhances efficiency by reducing net costs, reduces patient time, and provides improved care (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). Ultimately, patients get satisfied by the services they receive.
           In as much as healthcare providers and patients enjoy telemedicine’s benefits, the global adoption of the same has been faced with challenges such as adopting it in older adults and limited bandwidth speeds in rural regions. However, telemedicine acceptance is prone to heighten since everyone is becoming more adepts with it than face-to-face appointments.
           Covid-19 has unfolded several barriers in the entire healthcare system. Therefore, caring for Covid-19 patients called for several changes in the former practice models. This caused a serious paradigm to telemedicine models in several outpatient and inpatient settings. In an attempt to prevent and minimize the transmission of Covid-19, the health sector had to adapt to the telemedicine models. The disadvantages of telemedicine included limitations with performing general physical examinations, the possibility of experiencing technical challenges, security breaches, and regulatory challenges ((Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021)).
           Telemedicine critics also worry that its application could seriously affect healthcare continuity since online interactions are impersonal and risky because the virtual providers cannot offer the entire history and physical examination to help diagnose and treat the patients (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). Face-to-face interactions are key in several instances, such as when palpation is needed. Telemedicine should therefore be regarded as a proper way of supplementing in-person doctor’s visits.
           Telemedicine faces numerous regulatory challenges, such as inadequate policies for practice and different rules and regulations. Ultimately, this confuses those engaging in telemedicine.
How useful is it in acute care nursing. What are some of the barriers health care providers face to use telemedicine in acute care setting? We can also talk about difficulties during Covid and benefits during the Covid (need a good paragraph about this)