By Carolyn Paduano RN, BSNNursing 509

Telemedicine

What is Telemedicine? “Telemedicine is the use of medical information

exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status. Telemedicine includes a growing variety of applications and services using two-way video, email, smart phones, wireless tools and other forms of telecommunications technology.”

American Telemedicine Association (2012)

BenefitsAllows for better access to health care and

services

Helps improve professional education

Reduces health care costs

Improves patient care

How Does it Work?Allows for the technological exchange of medical information

between health care professionals and patients from a distance

What it Does Permits health care professionals to get more involved

with care even when they are not presently with the patient

Empowers patients and allows them to have some control over health care decisions and treatment plans

Make decisions in a timely manner when critical situations arise

Improves access between various health professionals and promotes interdisciplinary team work

Helps reduce medical cost by allowing for better quality of care which will result in fewer hospital admissions.

What Are the Negatives?

People relying too much on technology

Individuals forget how to interact with each other

Information can be breached causing violation of patients’ private information.

Lack of patient-nurse or patient-doctor relationship

Causes health professionals to feel “burnt out” by being available 24/7 to patients

Examples

Helps students in the healthcare field learn

Helps other health care professionals learn from various locations

Education

Examples

Installing equipment in the houseMonitor patients’ vitalsAllows for home-bound patients to be

able to interact with health care professionals

Home Monitoring

Examples

For health care professionals that cannot make it to the patients on time

For other health care professionals that are not in the same location

Specialty Referrals

Telemedicine continues to advance and

allow patients to have the quality

care they deserve.

References American Telemedicine Association. (2012). What is telemedicine?

Retrieved from http://www.americantelemed.org/about-telemedicine/what-is-telemedicine#.VE_-TL64n6Z

California Telehealth Resource Center. (2014) Telehealth. Retrieved from http://www.caltrc.org/telehealth/telehealth-facts/

DGTelemed. (2014). Telemedicine: Examples of telemedicine. Retrieved from http://www.dgtelemed.de/de/telemedizin/anwendungsbeispiele.php

Hjelm, N.M. (2005). Benefits and drawbacks of telemedicine. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 11, p. 60-70. http:/telemedicina6.unifesp.br/set/curso/2006-06-19-pgsaude/Fundamental_BenefitsandDrawbacksofTelemedicine.pdf