Problem and Focus of the Change Proposal
The problem at the forefront of this capstone project is the pervasive lack of access to mental health care services in underserved communities. The barriers include the geographical and cultural divide and span broad socioeconomic lines necessary for one to access healthcare. In these societies, the mentality of the people also makes matters worse because it leads to a pattern of emotional health conditions that go untreated. Communities that cannot access healthcare facilities benefit from telecommunication services that efficiently provide healthcare. In the last few years, telehealth has emerged to help healthcare providers reach clients in different places, possibly solving inequities in mental health provision. The utilization of virtual health platforms is beneficial for underprivileged people as they can bypass social stigma to seek mental healthcare from providers beyond their region.
This change has neat benefits for areas with limited access to healthcare services, most notably in urban and rural areas. Communities that need assistance more often face a lack of mental health professionals, which is now concerning. A diverse population range is present in this setting. They are from different racial and ethnic backgrounds and are from low-income groups.
The problem of limited access to mental health care is deeply rooted in the disparities prevalent in underserved communities. Discrepancies are noted in a few forms, spotlighting the fact that the community has fewer hospitals dedicated to mental health and more than foreseen financial strains on families belonging to all sorts of backgrounds. Due to the existing taboo on mental health, people do not want to seek help, resulting in poor outcomes. Telehealth services include all the facilities that cannot be provided physically using technology, creating a gap between them. This technology lets you connect with your mental health provider at any time. This way, anyone can contact the professionals via video calls and direct messages. Telemedicine allows individuals to break the barrier due to the distance and interact with healthcare professionals without being judged by others.
One of the best ways to improve telehealth outcomes is by providing thorough information that can develop an inclusive mindset among physicians. Through digital forums, therapists can interact more significantly with patients, thus ensuring patient information safety and caring for their mental health. The programs for educating people should be first channeled to health caregivers. Through this method, the false myths that revolve around telehealth will be debunked, and the importance of telehealth on specific populations populations will be emphasized. This can be done through a coalition involving mental health providers, community representatives, and technology experts to improve the quality of health services in these communities.
Effect and Impact
Implementing telehealth services in underserved communities is expected to have a profound and positive impact. It ensures that mental health problems are dealt with at the workplace and there is no discrimination based on location. Now, patients can book a session with their mental health care professionals and connect through the ease of the internet. This will promote regular service usage. Also, the intervention aims to reduce the stereotypical mindset, which is common when people seek mental help. Telehealth provides a comfortable and private way for people to connect with mental health professionals; this increases people’s willingness to get help from experts across many masses.
Telehealth services are offered by quality standards for mental health professionals to improve their skills and abilities. Healthcare workers will be given the expertise to assist patients in a well-mannered way, create a confidential environment, and use e-health tools through training sessions. Better mental health quality does not only enhance, but how to build trust within the community can be learned. Creating an educational bridge between people and telehealth services can significantly change people’s minds about healthcare quality. The community members have shown impactful benefits to reconsidering mental health care. If collaborative interprofessional teams work on a project, this will increase both its efficiency and effectiveness. To effectively cater to marginalized communities’ needs, the project needs to engage experts from various domains. This approach considers social and cultural factors and provides a broader strategy for the problem.
Significance and Implications
The significance of implementing telehealth services to improve access to mental health care in underserved communities is multifaceted. It focuses on the basic nursing principles where people from different socioeconomic backgrounds can access quality healthcare services. Nursing practices are seen as a means to address the inequities in mental health provisions, leading to improved outcomes among underserved population groups. This issue is significant for public health care. Mental health plays a vital role in maintaining one’s overall health; if not taken care of, it can be deteriorating for the community. Nursing practice significantly improves the community’s mental health through timely and effective care, enhancing overall community health. Nursing practice repercussions go further than the care directly provided. The project (Mongelli et al., 2020) is significantly impacted by how well nurses can foster the educational conversation and components within their scope. Many healthcare providers and community members can be trained in telehealth to improve mental health through them. Nurses can voice healthcare initiatives by changing regulations and modifying resource provisions to target lower-income regions.
Proposed Solution and Impact on Nursing Practice
The proposed solution to the identified project topic involves a comprehensive approach to implementing telehealth services in underserved communities. Initially, through needs assessment, the requirements and complexities of each society are to be understood. Such greater understandability can help medical platforms change how they interact according to who they are dealing with. Mental health providers must receive specific training programs to deliver the best telehealth services. To offer assistance in coherence with the community, there is a need for more than just technical standards; there must be an understanding of these norms and values. The team should have nurses to polish their skills and make healthcare more productive.
The educational programs must be designed so that healthcare providers and the general community learn from them. For the benefits of telehealth to be communicated, workshops and seminars, active nurses can play a pivotal role. Nurses can clarify ideas and raise a hopeful and cheerful approach to mental health if they interact with society. For telehealth services to be provided in the best possible way, there has to be great teamwork amongst the different interprofessional teams. Nursing staff, especially professionals, can be vital in establishing care linkers, coordinating amongst groups of care providers, and being direct service providers. This provides a way to collaborate with health services and integrate newer techniques to ensure the services are patient-centered.
The proposed solution, when effectively implemented, will significantly impact nursing practice. During the pandemic, one of the cornerstone ways of providing nursing services was through virtual means, meaning that their NICU services should continuously be updated and revised throughout their careers. Therapists also encourage them to improve their telehealth platforms by maintaining a therapeutic relationship with patients. Besides, addressing improving mental health through unique challenges associated with virtual care. Nurses have a significant role in changing health policies and allocating resources to provide telehealth services effectively. Telehealth can be used to support mental health. This needs policymakers that market it and work in those unique campaigns.
The capstone project focuses on establishing telehealth services to make mental health services available in communities with less access. The obstacles that stand in the way of taking mental care include where people live, how much they earn, and what cultural backgrounds they belong to. To develop better access to healthcare, especially mental health, for minority groups, we have to integrate the existing infrastructure with telehealth frameworks and policies.
References
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