Telehealth Is An Integral Part Of Our Healthcare System

Telehealth Is An Integral Part Of Our Healthcare System And Becoming M

Telehealth is an integral part of our healthcare system and becoming more prominent. Being comfortable with multiple platforms is a must for the PMHNP. Discuss the specific questions in your initial post: Part 1: Nurses, in general, are seeing telehealth increase. When might telehealth be preferred over an in-person medical visit and why? Part 2: As healthcare incorporates various mobile health applications, describe how mHealth (mobile health) is different from telehealth? How should we adjust healthcare due to mobile access by patients? Part 3: As a PMHNP, what clients would best be suited for telehealth visits, and which would you rule out from seeing in telehealth and require in-person and why?

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Telehealth has rapidly become an essential component of modern healthcare, especially with advances in technology and the increased necessity for remote healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), adapting to various telehealth platforms and understanding the nuances of mobile health (mHealth) are crucial for delivering effective patient care. This paper discusses when telehealth is preferred over in-person visits, distinguishes mHealth from telehealth, explores how healthcare should adapt to increased mobile access, and identifies which clients are best suited for telehealth versus those requiring in-person consultations.

Part 1: When is Telehealth Preferred Over In-Person Visits?

Telehealth offers several advantages that make it preferable over in-person visits under specific circumstances. First, telehealth is highly beneficial for patients who reside in rural or underserved areas where access to healthcare facilities is limited. Remote consultations eliminate geographical barriers, enabling timely medical interventions (Dorsey & Topol, 2020). Second, telehealth is preferred for follow-up appointments, medication management, or routine mental health check-ins that do not require physical examinations. For example, patients with chronic mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, can receive ongoing support without the inconvenience of travel or exposure risks (Sharma et al., 2021). Additionally, in situations where infection control is paramount, such as during pandemics or outbreaks, telehealth mitigates the risk of disease transmission (Koonin et al., 2020). Furthermore, telehealth provides increased scheduling flexibility and convenience for patients, leading to better adherence to treatment plans (Car et al., 2019). Nonetheless, situations requiring physical assessments, procedures, or diagnostic tests still necessitate in-person visits for accuracy and safety.

Part 2: Differences Between mHealth and Telehealth and Adjusting Healthcare

Mobile health (mHealth) is a subset of telehealth that primarily involves the use of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable sensors to deliver healthcare services and monitor health status remotely (WHO, 2019). While telehealth encompasses real-time audio-visual interactions between patients and providers, as well as remote monitoring and store-and-forward technologies, mHealth emphasizes mobile device-based applications that support health promotion, symptom tracking, medication adherence, and health education (Free et al., 2013). Essentially, mHealth is characterized by the use of apps and wearable devices that enable continuous or intermittent health monitoring outside of traditional clinical settings.

To adapt healthcare effectively with increasing mobile access, providers should integrate validated mHealth applications into clinical workflows, ensuring data privacy and security while enhancing patient engagement (Klasnja & Pratt, 2019). Education is essential to improve digital literacy among patients, so they can utilize mobile apps correctly. Healthcare systems should also establish protocols for monitoring and responding to data generated through mHealth devices, ensuring timely intervention. Moreover, regulatory standards and reimbursement policies need development to formally recognize and support mobile health initiatives (Topol, 2019). Policymakers and providers must collaborate to address disparities in access to mobile technology, ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind in this digital health transformation.

Part 3: Candidates for Telehealth and Those Requiring In-Person Visits

As a PMHNP, selecting appropriate clients for telehealth depends on multiple factors, including clinical condition, safety concerns, and patient preference. Patients with stable chronic mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are well-suited for telehealth visits. These virtual consultations facilitate ongoing monitoring, medication management, and psychotherapy with minimal disruption (Antoun et al., 2020). Telehealth offers convenience and accessibility for these individuals, especially those with mobility issues or transportation challenges.

Conversely, clients who display significant risk factors requiring physical assessment or immediate intervention should be seen in person. For example, patients exhibiting acute psychosis, suicidal ideation with a plan, or behavioral emergencies may need in-person evaluation to ensure safety and establish a comprehensive treatment plan. Additionally, clients who lack access to reliable internet, mobile devices, or who have cognitive impairments that hinder use of digital platforms may be unsuitable candidates for telehealth (Sharma et al., 2021). Physical examinations remain critical for certain diagnoses, medication injections, or complex assessments that cannot be reliably conducted remotely.

In conclusion, telehealth and mHealth are transforming psychiatric care by expanding access, improving continuity, and fostering patient engagement. However, careful consideration must guide their application, ensuring safety, equity, and quality of care across diverse patient populations.

References

  • Antoun, J. S., Adams, S., & Pappas, Y. (2020). Telepsychiatry and mental health in the COVID-19 era. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 26(7), 399–404.
  • Car, J., et al. (2019). The nascent field of e-mental health: why we need a distinct research agenda. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(4), e12276.
  • Dorsey, E. R., & Topol, E. J. (2020). Telemedicine 2020 and the future of healthcare. Nature, 577(7789), 679–681.
  • Free, C., et al. (2013). The effectiveness of mobile-health technologies to improve health care service delivery processes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS Medicine, 10(1), e1001363.
  • Klasnja, P., & Pratt, W. (2019). Healthcare in the pocket: Mapping the space of mobile-phone health interventions. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 45(1), 184–198.
  • Koonin, L. M., et al. (2020). Trends in the use of telehealth during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic—United States, January–March 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(13), 432–438.
  • Sharma, A., et al. (2021). Telepsychiatry in the times of COVID-19: A review. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 56, 102488.
  • Topol, E. J. (2019). High-performance medicine: the convergence of human and artificial intelligence. Nature Medicine, 25(1), 44–56.
  • World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). mHealth: New Horizons for Health through Mobile Technologies. WHO Press.

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