Evidence-Based Proposal and Annotated Bibliography on Technology in Nursing
The selected technology topic is telehealth because it is an important technology that optimizes the delivery of healthcare services. Firstly, it allows remote patient monitoring (RPM). RPM creates flexibility in care delivery and allows healthcare providers to conduct regular patient follow-ups (Bitar & Alismail, 2021). Secondly, telehealth promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to increase the quality of healthcare services (Groom et al., 2021. Collaboration among team members is an enabler for care coordination, quality patient care, and improved patient safety.
I used online medical databases such as PubMed to conduct my research. These databases allow users to customize their searches and access the most relevant information. In this context, I selected articles published between 2019 and 2022. I used words such as “healthcare” and “telehealth” to complete my searches. Furthermore, I checked for the credibility of the sources by evaluating their timeliness, purpose, and accuracy.
Annotation Elements
Bitar, H., & Alismail, S. (2021). The role of eHealth, telehealth, and telemedicine for chronic disease patients during COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid systematic review. Digital Health, 7, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076211009396
The article aims to evaluate existing evidence about the role of electronic health and telehealth in healthcare delivery for patients with chronic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors conducted a systematic review of articles sourced from various online databases such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed.
According to the authors, telehealth and electronic health (e-health) impacted the quality of healthcare services differently. Firstly, the technology improved patient follow-up. This is attributed to remote patient monitoring using wearables and real-time interactions via videoconferencing. Secondly, the technology facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration by allowing healthcare providers to participate in patient care remotely. Thirdly, telehealth and e-health provided an opportunity for training nurses and other members of the interdisciplinary team. By so doing, the quality of healthcare services was improved. Fourthly, telehealth improved adherence to treatment plans. This was achieved using features such as alarms, reminders, and messages. Fifthly, technology improved communication between patients and members of the interdisciplinary team. Effective communication minimizes confusion and increases medication adherence.
This article is relevant because it analyzes the impact of telehealth and e-health during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals that telehealth and e-health improve the quality of healthcare delivery to patients with chronic conditions. Furthermore, the article details the specific ways in which technology impacts healthcare services.
Groom, L. L., McCarthy, M. M., Stimpfel, A. W., & Brody, A. A. (2021). Telemedicine and Telehealth in Nursing Homes: An Integrative Review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(9), 1784-1801.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.037
This article seeks to identify the impact of telehealth on access to specialist care, patient safety, and care models. The authors conducted an integrative review of qualitative and quantitative journal articles. These articles were sourced from databases such as Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and CINAHL.
The authors report that telehealth impacted patient care by reducing hospitalizations, lowering healthcare costs, eliminating physical or geographical barriers, improving access to specialists, and allowing remote patient monitoring. Telehealth improved medication adherence, promoted interdisciplinary collaboration, and allowed patient monitoring. This optimized the quality of care and minimized hospitalizations and healthcare costs. Furthermore, telehealth improved workflow by eliminating the necessity of physical interactions with the healthcare provider and other specialists. Also, the authors found that telehealth allowed patients to access and select their preferred specialist.
This article is relevant because it evaluates and explores the relevance of telehealth in nursing homes. The article reveals that telehealth improves access to care, improves the quality of care, and lowers healthcare costs. This information is relevant for members of the interdisciplinary team.
Kaplan, B. (2020). Revisiting Health Information Technology Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues and Evaluation: Telehealth/Telemedicine and COVID-19. Internation Journal of Medical Informatics, 143(January). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104239
This article seeks to identify ethical and legal concerns associated with the use of telehealth technology. The authors conducted a retrospective study of published journal articles. Furthermore, they evaluated guidelines formulated by professional organizations and the European Union. According to the authors, examples of social, ethical, and legal issues include autonomy, quality care, confidentiality, privacy, and policies. Accordingly, healthcare providers should uphold patient autonomy when using telehealth services. Patients are key stakeholders in the treatment process. Their opinions and preferences should be considered. Further, healthcare providers should uphold the privacy and confidentiality of patients when using healthcare technology. Notably, they should protect personal health information and ensure that only authorized users can access this information. In addition, healthcare providers should respect patients’ rights and provide quality healthcare services to all patients. This can be accomplished by adopting evidence-based practice (EBP). EBP relies on findings from research that are backed by data. Finally, Healthcare providers should adhere to organizational and governmental policies when using telehealth technology. For example, they should adhere to the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
This article is relevant because it evaluates the legal, ethical, and social implications of using telehealth. These findings will enable members of the interdisciplinary team to avoid breaching the law and respect patient rights. As a result, the likelihood of penalization is reduced. Furthermore, the ethical use of telehealth will ensure that the best quality of care is provided to patients.
Steingass, S. K., & Maloney-Newton, S. (2020). Telehealth Triage and Oncology Nursing Practice. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 36(3), 151019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2020.151019
This article aims to explore the role of telehealth in the oncology unit. The authors conducted a systematic review of articles from online databases such as CINAHL. According to the authors, telehealth impacts oncology nursing practice in various ways. Firstly, it allows them to conduct telephone triage. This allows nurses to assess, prioritize, and refer patients to the pertinent level of care. Secondly, telehealth facilitates real-time interactions between nurses and patients. Essentially, this can be accomplished via videoconferencing and audio. Real-time interactions allow nurses to discuss or identify potential side effects and evaluate responses to treatment. Thirdly, telehealth enables nurses to transmit key information, such as radiological tests, to specialists via asynchronous technology. Fourthly, telehealth allows remote patient monitoring, allowing nurses to monitor patients continually. Subsequently, the quality of nursing care is improved.