1. NUR353 - Information Management in Health Care
Group Project Week 6
Jennifer Thornburg
Elizabeth Raymond
Melissa Ziogas
Kelsey Schneider
Allison Abisch

2. Outline
 Introduction
 Current and future
applications
 Example
 Risk management
 Benefits
 Conclusion

3. How would the world change if…
 Clinical care was available anytime and anywhere
 Clinicians could obtain consultations with medical centers
of excellence anytime and anywhere
 Home bound patients could be monitored remotely
anytime and anywhere
 Medical education programs were available anytime and
anywhere
 Language was not a barrier to medical treatment
 Specialist could be available to treat patients and injuries
no matter where in the world they were located
 Hospital and clinical facilities could reduce overhead and
establish more efficient operations
This is the Goal of Telemedicine

4. Telehealth / Telemedicine “What is it?”
 Broadly defined, telehealth / telemedicine is the
transfer of electronic medical data (i.e. high resolution
images, sounds, live video, and patient records) from
one location to another.

5. The need for Telemedicine
 Achieving access to Healthcare for patients across all
demographics and geographies
 Overcoming limited financial resources
 Large travel distances between affiliated healthcare
organizations
 Managing Healthcare provider shortages
 Clinician Shortages
 Delayed Treatment
 An aging population
 Language barriers
 Meeting Professional development requirements
 Keeping abreast with advancements in medicine

6. Telemedicine benefits
 Reduces barriers to access
 Increases efficiency for providers
 Reduces overall healthcare costs
 Reduces delays in care
 Retains resources locally
 Increases patient satisfaction
 Improves quality of care
 Consultant and primary provider
communication
 Education to providers
 Improves health outcomes
 Virtual accessibility

7. A few facts

8. The need for Telemedicine
 Achieving access to Healthcare for patients across all
demographics and geographies
 Overcoming limited financial resources
 Large travel distances between affiliated healthcare
organizations
 Managing Healthcare provider shortages
 Clinician Shortages
 Delayed Treatment
 An aging population
 Language barriers
 Meeting Professional development requirements
 Keeping abreast with advancements in medicine

9. Diverse Applications
 Monitor patient activities
 Evaluate tests and labs
 Collaboration between the
patient's healthcare team
 Storage of images and records
for easy retrieval
 Research
 Sending prescriptions
electronically
 Dictating data through voice
recognition
 Education for both patient
and healthcare team
 Support for caregivers

10. Application Categories
 Cardiology: ECG strips can be read from afar,
pacemakers can be reset
 Dermatology: Specialist can see patient without
patient needing to wait for an appointment
 Pathology: Second opinions on biopsies available
through slide transmissions
 Radiology: Receive images hospitals, no hospital
needed at rural hospitals
 Speech-language pathology: Efficient use of specialty
pathologists

11. Application Categories (ctd)
 Ambulatory Care settings: will help to monitor
compliance of medications
 Mobile Unit Post-Disaster Care: EMT's and nurses at
site of incident can voice needs of victim
 Home Care: health care team can evaluate client
without client leaving home
 School Clinics: school nurses can collaborate with
other professionals about problems observed
 Counseling: Can stay at home or be in an outpatient
setting for services

12. Application Categories (ctd)
 Emergency Care: Facilities can communicate
efficiently to prepare for transfer of a patient
 Pharmacy: Prescriptions can be sent electronically and
accessed at a central location
 Extended Emergency Services: allows doctors to
monitor ambulance patients, look over EMT's, initiate
treatments early

13. Application Categories (ctd)
 Geriatrics: monitor taking medications for those who
have memory loss but can stay home
 Hospice: increase access to services in remote areas
 Military: physicians can evaluate injured soldiers in
the field through medic equipment
 Virtual Intensive Care Units: Allow experts to monitor
distant patients in rural areas, especially when
transporting the patient is not possible at that time

14. Application Categories (ctd)
 Diabetes Management: can report blood sugars via touch-tone
phones
 Fetal Monitoring: high-risk antepartum patients can be
monitored from home for more comfort and less cost
 Hypertension Management: receive reminders and te
 Data Mining: Research can be easier conducted with large
databases for education, evidence-based practice, cost/benefits
 Education: Healthcare professionals can attend seminars
without traveling
 Psychiatry: Specialists can evaluate patients in outlying facilities
 Social Work: Can apply services for home visits through
telehealthachings on course of treatment

15. Technology Issues
 Resolution: Clarity of the
image isn't the most sharp
 Frame rate: lower frame
rates make interpretation
of diagnostic images
difficult and
videoconferencing delays
 Standards: Always
changing and standards of
telehealth need constant
revision
 Storage: Ensuring patient
data is stored correctly for
easy access

16. Physical Components of Telehealth

17. Telehealth Barriers
 Regulatory Barriers: Some state laws may
forbid telehealth past state boarders
 Lack of Reimbursement: Some third-
party payers may not reimburse the
client if they are not seen in-person
 Cost: All of the services and equipment
are expensive
 Fear of healthcare changes: many fear
job loss as clients will be seen in their
home rather than at a facility
 Lack of acceptance by professionals:
Liability concerns related to not seeing
the patient in-person
 Lack of acceptance by clients:
technology illiterate, strain on the July 2012
provider-client relationship,
concerns with confidentiality

19. References
 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-
08/telehealth.aspx (map)