Employing Telehealth to Enhance Overall Quality of Life and Health for Families (original) (raw)

Telehealth: Connecting with Families to Promote Health and Healing

Journal of Family Nursing, 2001

Telehealth is defined as the provision of health care via telecommunications wherever individuals are geographically separated. In this literature review, we explore the role of telehealth in family care. Telehealth has not been fully examined for its potential to support health and healing in families. Moreover, technological innovation, such as telehealth, presents an opportunity to question concepts and approaches to family care.

How telehealth can work best for our patients

The Journal of Family Practice

❯ Consider using telehealth encounters for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases and for monitoring stable chronic conditions. C ❯ Consider telehealth "checkins" to encourage patients working on behavioral change, such as smoking cessation. C Patients from a lower socioeconomic status may feel uncomfortable with providers seeing their home environment on video.

Feasibility of Using Telehealth to Deliver the “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” Program

International Journal of Telerehabilitation

Caregivers report poorer health and wellness than the general population and identify numerous barriers to their attending programs to improve health and wellness. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of employing a telehealth delivery method to enhance access to caregiver wellness programs. This article presents the quantitative results of a mixed methods feasibility study of translating the Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) program to a telehealth delivery format. Four unpaid family caregivers of older adults participated in a telehealth delivered PTC program, a wellness program with established outcomes in the in-person environment. The program was delivered using synchronous videoconferencing methods. High class attendance and a high median total average Telehealth Usability Questionnaire score of 5.7 indicated the telehealth delivery method was feasible. This research suggests that telehealth is a feasible delivery format for a caregiver program traditio...

Societal Drivers in the Applications of Telehealth

Telemedicine and e-Health, 2008

The application of telemedicine and e-health tools and the integration of these tools in healthcare is no longer a demonstration, pilot project, or idea. The changing landscape of humanity dictates that new solutions be implemented to address old problems. The landscape is changing with diminishing resources of fossil fuels, aging population, a shortage of skilled labor in healthcare (doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals), and emerging technologies for the personal space, culture, and consumer demand. All are key drivers in altering healthcare delivery, access, and education. The very foundation of medicine needs to change to meet these demands. Access using telehealth will widen and enable our ability to respond to public health issues. This paper addresses the many societal issues facing healthcare delivery and demonstrates how telehealth solutions are key components of the future of healthcare delivery across the globe.

A "matter of communication": A new classification to compare and evaluate telehealth and telemedicine interventions and understand their effectiveness as a communication process

Health informatics journal, 2017

This article attempts to define functions and applications of telemedicine and telehealth in order to achieve a simplified and comprehensive taxonomy. This may be used as a tool to evaluate their efficacy and to address health policies from the perspective of the centrality of information in the healthcare. Starting from a lexical frame, telemedicine or telehealth is conceived as a communication means and their action as a communication process. As a performance, the communication is related to the health outcome. Three functions ( telemetry, telephasis, and telepraxis) and nine applications are identified. Understanding the mechanisms of telemedicine and telehealth effectiveness is crucial for a value-driven healthcare system. This new classification-focusing on the end effect of telemedicine and telehealth and on the type of interactions between involved actors-moves toward a new and simplified methodology to compare different studies and practices, design future researches, class...

Nurses: Extending Care Through Telehealth

Nurses have an immense impact on the growth and scope of Telehealth as they embrace diverse roles. TeleNursing introduces transformational change which positively impacts both clients and providers, increasing access to care and reducing the time and costs associated with traveling for health care. Integration of clinical support and remote diagnostic tools inspire new uses of Telehealth, thus enabling care previously only possible in person to be delivered virtually. Nurses currently leverage Telehealth to deliver care and education, monitor clients remotely and support medical consultations. Over 90% of Island Health nurses surveyed recommend Telehealth as a care modality to clients and 100% support Telehealth as a means to increase care to vulnerable communities. Programs wish to increase uptake of TeleNursing but face numerous challenges regarding funding, resourcing, scheduling and geographical ownership. TeleNursing goes beyond clinical support and has the potential to exponentially expand Telehealth services, normalizing Telehealth as a care modality. Nurses look to Telehealth to improve their ability to partner with clients over distance, providing surgical care, maternal/pediatric care and group education