The dissemination of quality information to the patient is an essential segment of health care (Tso, 2020). Understanding the complexity of a successful transition from hospital to home-based care is relevant in exploring the need for change in patient education quality during hospital discharge. Telehealth is beneficial for both health and convenience, and it serves to help address the healthcare problem even amid the pandemic. If we are to examine the impact of technology in the medical field, telehealth will be a good place to begin from. Telehealth is a service that uses video calling and similar technologies to facilitate a healthcare provider to provide service to the patient away from a medical facility that has gained precedence, especially during the pandemic. The technology has been relevant in improving health outcomes in cost-effective ways. The health care system has been grappling with transitional care issues for a very long time, and it was heavily affected during the pandemic. Factors such as patient discharge practices, patient understanding, and patient perspectives that have been undermined by the lack of collaboration among health care stakeholders for a very long time are currently being addressed effectively with the implementation of telemedicine. This essay explores the efficacy of telemedicine after COVID 19 pandemic.
Literature Review
Telemedicine technology refers to the means of providing medical telecommunications care and information patients technology remotely using provide clinical telecommunications technology (Pawar et al., 2022). In the United States, technology such as Telemedicine is not new as the country has grown very much in terms of technology. Therefore, many sectors of the country now shift to be more technological. The instance of covid 19 outbreak in the world is also attributed to using some of this technology, such as Telemedicine. This is because the patient could not go physically to the doctor due to the lockdown. The technology is now tested on its ability to give the desired results and its effectiveness in the country. There is some research done on Telemedicine by different researchers, as shown in this essay.
According to Kichloo A, Alberta M, Dettloff K,2020, onTelemedicine, the current COVID-19 pandemic and the futuresuggested that Telemedicine is quickly growing in a climate of constrained budgets, rising expenses, and significant changes in the healthcare organizational architecture. Serious evaluation of the technology reveals that it has the potential to alter healthcare delivery in a variety of ways. Still, fast technical progress and a dynamic and evolving healthcare system make it exceedingly difficult to anticipate which way things will go. Unexpected repercussions are probable, according to experience, and they might have severe implications for the healthcare system. The study also indicates that demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of Telemedicine will take many years. Meanwhile, several factors influence expenses and income. In the research, he shows a considerable increase in the use of Telemedicine in treatment where patients do not have to go physically to see a doctor, but they can call and get immediate help. In the United States, this has become a treading way of living that has made treatment and way of life easier. Furthermore, there was research on covid 19 influence on Telemedicine.
According to Ramaswamy 2020, on Patient satisfaction with Telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, stated that Covid 19 had a very high influence on the growth of Telemedicine in the United States. This was in the essence that there is good network connectivity in the country and the people in the country are very adaptive to the new trends in technology. The research has shown that people preferred video medication in the period of covid 19 lather in the country than going to personal visitation to the doctor. In this case, doctors could look into the patient and administer diagnostics without physical touch to the patient.The national hub of the COVID-19 outbreak was New York City. As a result, healthcare providers could quickly move from in-person consultations to video consultations. Even though Telemedicine has the potential to be a technological breakthrough, little is known about patient satisfaction with this new option to conventional clinical interaction. Their assistance in utilizing such technologies determined patients’ happiness. Telemedicine was frequently employed in New York throughout the pandemic, even when hospitals were unavailable. There isn’t enough evidence to back up the use of patient satisfaction as a criterion for comparing in-person visits.Unfortunately, patient happiness has been identified as the most critical success criterion for telemedicine programs. One of the most critical components of value-based health care is ensuring that patients are satisfied with their treatment. Treatment plan adherence, fewer surgical readmissions, and patient retention are also linked with patient satisfaction. Another research by Monaghesh showed the role of covid 19 on the use of Telemedicine.
According to Monaghesh and Hajizadeh, 2020on the role of Telehealth during the COVID-19 outbreak, by lowering the transmission of disease and boosting access to proper treatment, as well as ensuring the security of those giving care online while simultaneously reducing their responsibilities, Telehealth’s entire spectrum of medical resources may benefit both health care providers and clients. The containment and triage of the COVID-19 pandemic epidemic were some of the patient telehealth utilization examples, as were self- and distant monitoring, treatment, and patients after they were discharged from health facilities. In the event of a pandemic, these techniques have the potential to minimize death and morbidity(Monaghesh & Hajizadeh, 2020). Healthcare professionals and clinicians can still work remotely with patients for a variety of reasons, including to speed up the decision-making process, get a second opinion on more serious cases, share cross-border experiences, and provide teleradiology and online training to healthcare professionals. To combat the COVID-19 epidemic, Telemedicine should be a high priority. It has been implemented to feature some of the features discussed.
Telehealth provides a way to bring together a wide range of organizations and healthcare challenges into a single virtual network overseen by a central clinic. This network may include a variety of physical locations, such as clinics in various regions, prevention centers, private clinics, private physician offices, rehabilitation facilities, and any patients registered at those locations. Using virtual care for extremely frequent, important medical treatment and delaying elective operations or annual exams might free up medical professionals and equipment for patients who become severely sick with COVID-19 (Monaghesh & Hajizadeh, 2020). Because of this, it’s clear that Telemedicine will play a significant role in the future and should be prioritized as an alternative. Apps that allow patients to communicate with a doctor remotely while they are ill are gaining ground in this area. Telemedicine will not only be used in the covid 19 period, but it has a long-time implication, according to other researchers such as Grossman.
According to Grossman et al., 2020 on the future of telemedicine visits after COVID-19, after the pandemic, it was anticipated that the high probability sequence of treating the patient through Telemedicine would reduce. This trend was also seen when researchers looked at specific therapeutic options, such as prescribing antibiotics or symptomatic treatment for patients. According to the research findings, telemedicine technology usage increased considerably during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Israel, and it is expected to decline somewhat after the epidemic is ended. Most Israeli physicians want to restart in-person meetings when the epidemic is over and make treatment recommendations based on frontal data rather than data gathered via telemedicine exchanges. In terms of the roles of the physical encounter and the significance of the physical examination, this bias has been profoundly ingrained in medical education from the profession’s beginnings. The research found that during the first COVID-19 lockout period, primary care pediatricians’ usage of telemedicine technology grew considerably. According to the study’s findings, pediatricians predict consumption levels to decline during the pandemic. Because of the pandemic’s ongoing and dynamic character, keeping track of how much Telemedicine is being utilized and setting appropriate expectations for post-pandemic levels of use will be critical.
In conclusion, Telemedicine is a developing culture in medicine, and this technology came to be highly used during the pandemic period. This has seen the transfer of medical services to online and virtual where the doctor and the patient meet is so incredible. The literature review has considered different research papers to conclude on Telemedicine or telehealth technology and its future trend. Telemedicine will be more efficient after the pandemic.
Discussion
A patient’s transfer from a hospital environment to a home set-up can be accompanied by stress and anxiety. Low quality of education has been a significant cause of readmission of patients back to the health facilities. According to Otsuka et al. (2019), a research carried out in 2013 stated that close to two-thirds of US hospitals suffer severe financial penalties due to high readmission rates of patients. Implementing telehealth can help avert problems. The need to improve care transitions is thus necessary for averting similar occurrences. Changing the quality of patient education during discharge can play a major role in facilitating the effective transition. Establishing well-written information regarding home care activities and patient management is critical in addressing the shortcomings that have been rampant in the health care system. Patients need to be aware of their diagnosis, the medications, and the side effects. With the advancement in technology and the new digital technologies, medical professionals can virtually diagnose and oversee patients’ care.
Telehealth is the future. Emerging issues like the COVID-19 have posed new problems to the health care system. Telehealth has acted as an effective tool in fighting the outbreak of the disease. Considering social distancing has been one of the key ways of combating the virus. Telehealth technology is critical in helping the healthcare system reach its strategic goals. With remote care, the use of resources is reduced significantly, which means patients who are not critically ill can be managed from their homes. With such an approach, the risk of direct transmission is significantly reduced. This has helped reduce the transmission of the disease. Therefore, it has been vital in decreasing morbidity and mortality during the pandemic.
The technology has also been effective in providing wide access to health care providers. It has proven effective in mobilizing every aspect of healthcare potential. The most significant element of the technology has been its ability to give room for healthcare workers to operate remotely. In the first month of the pandemic, many health workers contracted the diseases, which led to some fatalities. However, with the help of telehealth, this number has significantly reduced over time.
A good road map that aims to address the problem at hand offers evidence-based recommendations. This may entail increasing patient engagement, enhancing access to care, facilitating improved patient outcomes, and aiding in managing chronic diseases (Basco, 2017). The development of the telehealth roadmap should consider security and privacy concerns. The user experience is a primary concern for the program. This means that increased network traffic should be monitored so as to avert the overwhelming of available bandwidth, which may end up causing frozen screens.
The digitization of medical records has led to a paradigm shift in the health care industry. This has led to an increase in the volume of data in terms of diversity, timeliness, and complexity. Health informatics is relevant in ensuring the relevant data improves health outcomes. The Hippocratic Oath is one of the ancient binding documents in history. The health workers still abide by this oath. The oath assertion is to treat the “ill to the best of one’s ability, to preserve a patient’s privacy, and to teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation.” Digitization is relevant in ensuring confidentiality in the healthcare system (Trevino & Katherine 2021). This is one way that helps inform outcomes.
IT infrastructure helps improve the quality of care and facilitates cost-effective health care. An established policy framework is required for good health information technology. This will help to reduce risk, threats, and vulnerabilities. Therefore, a good framework policy, standards, procedures, and guidelines serve an essential purpose in helping a practitioner develop an effective treatment plan for better accuracy. Other benefits include coordinated care, giving patients greater control over their own care, and enabling interaction of information resources. Although computerization is vital in improving the quality of service, there has been the risk that was exposing confidential information to illegal access. The healthcare sector has immensely benefited from the numerous advantages of digitization but faces setbacks from cyber-attacks (Otsuka et al., 2019). This is an area that can require to be addressed if we are to realize the full benefits of the internet and inspire confidence in ICT infrastructure.
Today’s healthcare system relies heavily on patient-centered care. Patient outcomes are defined by the quality of care received from the health workers. As a result, it’s vital to revisit key healthcare policies. For example, all baccalaureate-prepared nurses (BSN) are prepared to work in any healthcare setting. They have a wide range of responsibilities in healthcare settings (Caldwell & Connor, 2020). They are in charge of delivering both direct and indirect care. The procedure comprises determining the patient’s condition, doing detailed, relevant research, and assessing the research evidence before deciding on a necessary intervention.
Digital technologies facilitate telehealth. The idea of telemedicine has been key in changing nursing care. Telehealth is helpful to both the primary care specialists and the patients. Telehealth is HIPAA-compliant and has numerous benefits: improving remote monitoring, reducing practice overhead, cutting patient costs, improving healthcare quality, expanding access to care, and improving clinical workflows. Ramaswamy et al.(2020) pointed out the impact of telehealth in offering medical services that will limit health professionals’ exposure to the COVID-19 infection.
Telestroke can prevent the rise of stroke cases in a community. Healthcare can use a multidisciplinary program that will entail a 24/7 expert on-call stroke specialists, specific protocols, and staff training. A program vital in transforming stroke treatment and management will involve a platform where the stroke specialist can make use of video and audio to reach out to the patient and share necessary information. For instance, live video is vital in preventing direct physical contact, and this helps diminish the exposure and thus prevent the potential transmission of infection (Zhai et al., 2020). This will be relevant in creating a treatment plan and ensuring continued care. With telehealth, care will be taken to the patient, which will be important in curbing an increase in admission, which can strain the hospital resources.
According to new research, billions of data have been compromised. Infrastructures located within the bounds of cyberspace have been destroyed due to cyber terrorism and cyber warfare. Most cyberattacks have been carried out by people who have technical knowledge of computers and a hostile goal in mind. However, using human psychology to carry out cyber-attacks is a novel concept that poses a threat to computer network defense (STIG 2012). Victims are forced to give personal information that is later exploited against them. Phishing, baiting, pretexting, quid pro quo, and tailgating are the most common social engineering techniques used to compromise workplace networks. Patient information must be protected when employing new technology. This will help prevent backlash from stakeholders. They can be secured by regularly reviewing security controls, upgrading softwares, updating policies, and maintaining security controls.
It is important to understand that in order to keep patient information secure, we must be aware of what threats are. A threat can be defined as an action that will destroy an asset. They can be both human-induced or natural (STIG, 2012). Threats like viruses that are human-induced are very destructive and can destroy the computer software and meddle with confidentiality. It is vital to have a raft of measures that slow down potential threats and make it difficult to access patients’ data to prevent a threat from occurring. Security of the Network is an important element in addressing threats. A layered security strategy will be good for the defense of the system.
Conclusion
The objective of this systematic report was to investigate the efficacy of telehealth after the pandemic. In this essay, we have examined the effect of telehealth and its benefits in the management of COVID-19 infection. As the COVID 19 outbreak continues to wreck its havoc it is clear that there is need to embrace innovation as a means to meet the global healthcare system needs.Many of the primary issues in providing health services during the COVID-19 outbreak can be addressed through telehealth. Furthermore, telemedicine can help us avoid direct physical contact, reduce the danger of COVD transmission, and provide community-wide care. Clinicians and patients are strongly advised to use telehealth tools as a suitable choice to prevent and contain COVID-19 infection, based on the outcomes of this review stud From this study, it is clear that to manage COVID-19 and its ripple effect in the healthcare system, we must fully implement the telehealth strategy. This means that we should ensure that measures such as live video consulting are embraced.
References
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