a dilemma as physicians

a dilemma as physicians

Telehealth technology allows providers to treat remotely defined by state-by-state licensure (Milstead & Short, 2019). The benefit of state regulation is the ability to closely monitor practice and outcomes on a state level. The federal government is considering nationalizing the regulations for telehealth. This presents a dilemma as physicians practicing telehealth will require multi state licenses.

I believe the most promising healthcare trends impacting healthcare technology and nursing practice is the advancement of telemedicine. The ability to remotely monitor patients and maintain a consistent record provide information for time sensitive diagnosis and treatment. The impact this has on nursing is profound. Nurses will be responsible not only for monitoring but for teaching these patients how to manage these problems themselves. The nurse’s consistent communication allows for education not only with medication but with diet, exercise, weight loss and overall prevention. Telehealth is a promising tool to the new culture of preventative healthcare. While patients are in the program, they can interact and learn about their disease process and exacerbation prevention. Telehealth is a win win.

References

Hall, J. L., & McGraw, D. (2014). For Telehealth to Succeed, Privacy and Security risks must be Identified and Addressed []. Health Affairs, 33(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0997

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2018). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge (4 ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health Policy & Politics A Nurse’s Guide. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning Books.