The Function of Telehealth in Vulnerable Communities

Telehealth is a technology-driven approach that emphasizes the remote provision of health care and other health-related activities. Clinicians, patients, and providers are all involved in the communication and education that is involved. Although it does not increase the number of providers, it may help to enhance the efficacy and broaden the reach of existing personnel. Telehealth is not a service, but something much more general, like the name of operating health care services.

To overcome workforce and access barriers, telehealth billing offers promise in reducing health disparities of underserved populations and older adults while saving patients the costs or inconvenience with missed work time, transportation (e.g., bus fare), or child care expenses. With telehealth, patients in isolated locations also get the options for interacting with multiple doctors, which makes it convenient to seek expert consultations locally. For example, they may participate in video visits with providers to manage acute and chronic needs.

The advantages of monitoring patients remotely or through telehealth

Using technology advancements to gather patient data outside of conventional healthcare delivery locations, remote patient monitoring, also known as RPM or telehealth, is a healthcare delivery strategy that benefits patients, medical professionals, caregivers, and the healthcare system as a whole.

The following are the key benefits, which range from cost reductions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, increased patient-provider point-of-care availability, and patients’ self-management. 

• By leveraging data to guide clinical decisions, it helps make better sense of health for patients and makes them adhere to their treatment plans more efficiently.
• Reduce the cost of healthcare to both payers and providers.
• Increases net patient revenue
• Improves the efficiency of tasks and reduces patient costs
• Improves healthcare accessibility
• It makes clinical staff more efficient, engages patients and helps with a staffing crunch.
• Helps avoid infection and hospital-acquired infections
• Increases caregiver engagement and attachment to the care they deliver
• Enhances satisfaction and experience for their patients
• Better retention & more referred business
• Builds rapport between the healthcare professional and patient

Obstacles to the provision of rural healthcare

Living in remote, rural areas is a disheartening experience, as rural healthcare institutions frequently lack the financial resources to hire highly skilled healthcare professionals and acquire more commonly used instruments found in metropolitan healthcare facilities.

In order to improve patient care in rural areas, nurse practitioners must address the following obstacles and educate patients on the most effective methods for maintaining their health.

• Scarcity of healthcare professionals
• Insufficient understanding of health issues
• Privacy and social stigma
• Health care coverage that is inadequate or non-existent
• Telehealth is an exceptional method for establishing a practice in remote regions.

Although it is currently at its most advanced stage of development, Telehealth has been expanding for half a century, and this expansion has not been limited to the mere act of videoconferencing with an out-of-town patient. To broaden healthcare coverage to rural regions and astronauts, government authorities and corporate entities have made investments in telemedicine.

Decreased readmissions: The key to keeping readmissions as low as possible is prevention. This means that telehealth could be utilized for follow-up appointments, where patients might have to meet with their physicians remotely without any unexpected medical interventions. It is what stops events from evolving into more dangerous situations. Patients will also have difficulty addressing their post-care at home. Yet, HIPAA-compliant consultation platforms allow nurses and physicians to monitor post-discharge care for released patients, which in turn, when a patient issues an aftercare, prevents them from showing up at the hospital again or relapse symptoms.

Access the underserved and distant populations

Persons who have resided and worked in rural areas are required to travel a considerable distance to obtain specialized treatment, and they are often unable to obtain immediate care in severe situations. Clinical exposure is significantly restricted for individuals residing in impoverished areas, as they frequently lack reliable transportation. Patients residing in rural areas may benefit from the ability to consult with physicians virtually from their homes, which could lead to a high level of patient satisfaction. Telehealth providers have facilitated the advancement of hospitals and clinics in remote regions. Telemedicine has adopted the responsibility of providing a dependable source of treatment to underprivileged and chronically ill individuals.

Medication management can be enhanced through the use of telehealth.

In both urban and rural areas, telehealth provides a variety of essential services to patients. It encompasses the provision of assistance with substance management. Approximately $310 billion in unnecessary spending and $100 billion in preventable hospitalizations are attributed to the fact that half of the individuals in the United States who are taking medications are not adhering to their physicians’ recommendations. The matter is particularly severe for those who are taking numerous medications: the healthcare expense is accounted for by the top 1 percent of high-acuity chronic illness patients, who account for 23 percent of the total, or nearly $107,000 per patient. The healthcare authorities are optimistic that a digital health platform that monitors medication adherence at home and provides care professionals with information about the patients would reduce these expenses and improve the overall health of these patients.

With sufficient internet connectivity and video capabilities, comprehensive medication management (CMM) can be implemented through telehealth. It is possible to detect nonverbal cues through telemedicine with the assistance of concentration and experience. Their features and body language are still visible. You can identify when a patient is uneasy or disturbed by any stimulus. If their treatment objectives are not being met, you may observe this. Patients may begin to squirm in their chairs when they are uncomfortable, which is one of the few instances of non-verbal indications. Certain methodologies guarantee that you obtain the most precise responses to your inquiries.

Open-ended questions should be administered to patients in lieu of fundamental “yes” or “no” inquiries. For instance, soliciting the patient’s medication list from both a nurse and a patient may result in conflicting responses that necessitate resolution. It is imperative to ascertain whether the patient is authentically consuming the medications listed on the pharmaceutical list. You can ask how many missed doses the patient has had in the last month, and their first answer to this will probably not be true. Then you can ask about how many occupied spots they had last week—two weeks or so as well—and how many slots lay vacant. Lastly, if they are not taking the dose as prescribed, you will want to ask about specific adverse events and provide this list.

Accurate identification of the challenges a patient encounters when taking their medications is required to work with them on devising an effective management plan that not only controls his/her disease but also prevents adverse effects and inefficacy due to potential interactions. It must be able to read their body language, which is possible when video conversations are present, so CMM becomes a service that can be delivered via Telehealth.

Is there a way to overcome these obstacles?

Medication adherence is the term used to describe the extent to which individuals adhere to the prescription instructions provided by their healthcare provider for drug administration. It involves adhering to the prescribed dosage of medication, remembering to complete prescriptions, and adhering to instructions precisely.

Place a high value on medication education and review.

Ensure that the patient is informed of all the benefits (as well as any potential adverse effects) of taking the medication as prescribed prior to prescribing it. To foster cooperation and transparency, it is advantageous to involve the patient’s relatives or attendants in the planning process, whenever feasible. Telehealth is an excellent approach to promptly and safely involving patients, caregivers, and physicians in this process, thereby guaranteeing timely evaluation and ongoing education.

Utilize technology

Medical providers may utilize technology to remind patients of their lifestyle regimen and prescriptions in order to encourage adherence. By utilizing Telehealth, it is possible to continuously communicate with patients in order to engage them proactively in the event that they have questions about their medications, neglect to renew their prescriptions, or skip dosages. Telehealth billing engagement, including medication reminder applications, virtual visits, and remote patient monitoring equipment, has the potential to alter patient behavior and increase their satisfaction.