Introduction
Telehealth is among the most commonly used health technologies in this age. The uses include managing, delivering, and coordinating health services through telecommunication technologies and electronic information. Telehealth is a knowledgeable topic that incorporates digital communication to deliver health services across any geographical location and social impediments. Scholars chose this topic when studying the impacts of telecommunication on healthcare services quality. Much literature has been published to help scholars discover the improvements that result from the integration of telecommunication gadgets in hospital settings. Different experts have a varying focus that has eventually evaluated whether telecommunication has helped improve patient safety. Using mixed research strategies, it is easy to identify the relevant articles to annotate on telehealth. The preliminary research focuses on the impacts discovered and discussed by other experts. Moreover, the preliminary research helps identify databases with the relevant articles with credible information for the research on telehealth. With the insights from other scholars, nurses upgrade their skills and improve their practice using telehealth technologies applied in nursing standards. The search terms I used in the research process include telemedicine, telecare, virtual health, and digital health. This annotated bibliography discusses telehealth technology and its impact on patient safety and outcomes.
Annotated Bibliography
Carroll, K. (2018). Transforming the art of nursing: Telehealth technologies. Nursing Science Quarterly, 31(3), 230-232.
The selected article focuses on nursing practice using telehealth technology. Carroll (2018) claims that telehealth provides an opportunity to transform and operationalize care among Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nursing Practitioners (NPs). In the article, telehealth is described as integrated digital communication with healthcare services. The author explains telehealth as a series of connections that contain facilitative technologies to improve nursing care. Additionally, the system responds to physical distance and explains how physicians connect even when serving from different regions. This source is credible since it was published by the Nursing Science Quarterly publication, mainly focusing on healthcare research.
According to Carroll (2018), telehealth has dramatically improved patient safety and the quality of care. Notably, the technology centers on a nursing principle that points out convenience and efficiency despite the geographical differences. It also offers transformational opportunities among the individuals receiving nursing care since it acts as a medium for successful patient-nurse interactions. For this reason, these technologies are relevant to nursing practices and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. I selected this publication out of the many possible options since it primarily focuses on nursing practices and is devoted to providing complete nursing knowledge.
Mataxen, P. A., & Webb, L. D. (2019). Telehealth nursing: More than just a phone call. Nursing2020, 49(4), 11-13.
The article discusses the telehealth technology that includes phone calls. A telehealth call is more than just an ordinary phone call since patient needs are discussed. For instance, labor and delivery nurses can communicate with expectant mothers about fetal well-being and labor symptoms. Implementation of telehealth is vital in healthcare since it will reduce the mortality rates among patients. Effective implementation of this technology reduces health risks, offers convenience, and saves health providers and health organizations costs. With this, it can easily result in patient satisfaction, interdisciplinary team productivity, and employee retention.
This source is essential to the study topic since it aims at increasing awareness regarding telehealth nursing. In particular, the authors explain its role in increasing patient safety and improving the quality of care. Since it mainly includes phone calls, nurses must have proper communication and critical thinking skills. They should also be aware of probing to describe bruises, cuts, rashes, and burns properly. Also, they ought to be good listeners to make accurate assessments. This article is published by Nursing Publishers, a company devoted to providing extensive nursing knowledge that will help improve the quality of care provided by registered and practical nurses.
Telehealth has positively impacted care quality and patient safety. In particular, this is because it allows for healthcare interventions without leaving the comfort of their homes. The authors assert that this technology aids in the preventive capacity of individuals living in rural areas. In other words, this technology reduces resources for extreme events like traveling to and from the health facilities. With this, it became relevant to the nursing practice and interdisciplinary care team. I selected this publication out of the many options since it focuses on nursing practices and improving RNs and NPs.
Snoswell, C. L., Stringer, H., Taylor, M. L., Caffery, L. J., & Smith, A. C. (2021). An overview of the effect of telehealth on mortality: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 1357633X2110237.
This article primarily examines the mortality rates when using telehealthcare. The authors used mortality rates to gather the information that expounds on patient safety and quality healthcare. The study results showed that telehealth does not increase mortality rates. Therefore, this means that it allows for patient safety and quality healthcare among the RN and NPs. Worth noting that this article is under Sage publications, the leading international publisher. Well-known medical practitioners also write it in the Health Services Research (HSR) center.
Based on this source, telehealth increases the quality of care and patient safety. Specifically, this is because it has reduced mortality rates among individuals in the most remote geographical areas. This technology is relevant to nursing practice and the work of interdisciplinary healthcare teams since it allows the provision of quality health services with minimal utilization of resources. Nurses do not necessarily need to move to the patient’s locality for minor labor symptoms and burns with telehealth. Healthcare practitioners need to read this article’s resources to equip themselves with adequate knowledge of telehealth technology to reduce mortality rates.
Steingass, S. K., & Maloney-Newton, S. (2020). Telehealth triage and oncology nursing practice. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 36(3), 151019.
The authors explore the telehealth triage and how it helps provide oncology nursing care. Also, they are interested in examining the role of RNs in telehealth settings. The research findings recorded that technologies like telehealth need to be embraced in oncology centers since they allow easy access to health services. The source is credible since Elsevier publishers publish it. Elsevier publisher is the best internationally publishing company that focuses on nursing and healthcare resources.
While using telehealth technology, patient safety and quality care are enhanced. Oncology patients can make phone calls regarding their clinics and visitation programs. Also, through this technology, they can easily communicate with their caregivers. Telehealth is relevant to nursing practice and interdisciplinary healthcare teams since it allows the telehealth RNs to analyze patient data, make accurate assessments and treatment plans. Healthcare practitioners need to read this source since they will equip themselves with the triage process and decision support tools while using telehealth.
Conclusion
Despite the different aims of the researchers, it is evident that telehealth technology improves patient safety and the quality of care. Telehealth is significant for registered and practical nurses as it equips them with advanced critical thinking and visualization skills. In other words, this technology positively augments the quality of care so that patients receive improved and more efficient health services. Some technologies can be used together to enhance and improve quality patient care. For example, telehealth can be best used with real-time location systems and delivery robots technologies. However, the social norms and resources would limit or influence the usage of some technologies. For instance, delivering robotics would be less valuable due to less financial resources to adapt it. Conversely, health organizations can embrace telehealth if it aims at empowering the employees.