NURS FPX 6214 Assessment 1 Technology Needs Assessment
Introduction
Annually worldwide, new technological advancements are made. Digital software has been tested over the past few years to make things simpler and more reliable for humans to survive during trying times (Orlando et al., 2019). Additionally, it made it simpler for people to get medical attention without sacrificing the standard or security of such assistance. Telehealth technology has advanced over the past 15 months to serve patients at all hours. Patients in certain remote locations have restricted access to resources like transportation (Orlando et al., 2019). It is frequently the case that specific specialty services are not offered, which makes managing disease processes challenging. In these regions, telehealth is more prevalent. While still enabling the patient to receive the required care, telehealth offers possibilities. Even though telehealth has advanced, there continues to be room for improvement in several areas, including technology, internet access, financial accountability, and deciding when a patient should be seen in person versus telehealth (Orlando et al., 2019).
Relevance of a Need Assessment
Because technology may make healthcare delivery simpler and of a high standard for patients, it is important for healthcare companies to identify technology needs assessments. Healthcare technology is constantly expanding and changing (Adelman et al., 2021). To keep improving the treatment provided to our patients, it is crucial that we continuously investigate new technological solutions. Over recent months, it has become clear that telehealth can be effective (Adelman et al., 2021). In-office medical treatment and consultations have been reduced in anticipation of further emerging diseases like those we have already witnessed.
In order to prevent HIPPA violations and maintain the security of patient data, telemedicine services must be continuously regulated (Donelan et al., 2019). Organizations must make certain that their virtual care solutions are completely operational and convenient for use in the future. Because telehealth services are inexpensive to operate and can connect individuals who might not otherwise look for those kinds of specialized treatments if they were not available, it might be preferable for healthcare companies (Donelan et al., 2019). Chronically ill individuals can follow up more frequently and conveniently at home. Their odds of experiencing a flare-up of their conditions can be reduced because of their families’ increased involvement in their care and greater responsibility.
Recent research has demonstrated that when given a choice to use telemedicine, patients experienced reduced anxiety and worry about scheduling visits (Gajarawala et al., 2021). Because it can be completed from their phones and tablets wherever they are at that moment, individuals may set appointments around their flexibility and refrain from taking time off work or arranging transport to the visits.
NURS FPX 6214 Assessment 1 Technology Needs Assessment
Key Issues
Telehealth should be used more often to help with the nursing deficit. Studies have demonstrated how telemedicine providers can visit four times as many patients with limited staff, which is a critical issue given the shortage of nurses (Gajarawala et al., 2021). In a telehealth scenario, the nurse can still deliver high-quality care while accessing, gathering, monitoring, educating, and following up with each patient they meet. The nursing industry has greatly benefited from this. Although telehealth is a relatively new concept, previous research shows that nurses play a critical role in it (Gajarawala et al., 2021). As a result, nurses are urged to participate in and develop methods for telehealth services.
The ability to adjust to the usage of telehealth is another important issue. The older population is a conservative group who dislike change in general and especially technological progress. This demographic will need to be convinced of the benefits of convenient access, the fact that they will not need to travel far to see a doctor, and the fact that their family members can play a bigger role in their treatment (Donelan et al., 2019).
For this demographic to know what will happen relatively soon, it is critical that more help be made available. Patients shall be urged to involve their families so that they might give them hands-on support while receiving telehealth teaching (Donelan et al., 2019). Patients are not required to use telehealth services. They should continue arranging visits in person if they don’t feel comfortable doing so. The preferences of the patient should take priority; therefore, patients shouldn’t feel compelled to use services they are unfamiliar with (Donelan et al., 2019).
Safety Requirements and Regulatory Considerations
It is essential to adhere to standards and security regulations when using telehealth services. Planning the creation of a new telemedicine provider necessitates a thorough examination of and adherence to all applicable state and federal rules (Vesselkov et al., 2018). It is crucial to have a monitoring division that quietly manages the telemedicine phone lines in order to safeguard patient health records from cybercriminals (Wu et al., 2022). It is crucial that all employees are informed about HIPPA policies and the security of medical records, as well as be mindful of the repercussions if these guidelines are not implemented (Wu et al., 2022).
NURS FPX 6214 Assessment 1 Technology Needs Assessment
Patient Confidentiality and Privacy Protections
Researchers have observed that patients’ reluctance to switch to telehealth is primarily motivated by privacy issues (Welsh, 2022). Some of those worries can be alleviated by using secure computers and systems. It is crucial to warn patients about the need to use secure networks within the health care facilities to visit the websites and not share any sensitive data (Welsh, 2022). Patients should be instructed to always communicate with telehealth providers in a confidential manner, so that everyone concerned may see and take the necessary steps when they have questions (Welsh, 2022). To ensure they remain up to speed on the most recent rules and regulations, staff members should receive annual education and competence on client confidentiality with telehealth (Wu et al., 2022).
Potential Impact
Everyone affected by the usage of telemedicine in healthcare will experience major effects. The introduction of telehealth will have an impact on numerous aspects of medical procedures (Wu et al., 2022). Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, laboratories, diagnostic devices, instructors, Technology surveillance departments, safety and control agencies, and management are some examples of these professions (Wu et al., 2022). The influence of telehealth/telemedicine will allow these medical specialties the chance to experiment with different medical practices while enabling them to work remotely (Wu et al., 2022).
Telehealth was once promoted as a face-to-face visit and charged as so. CMS has yet to determine how it would manage the cost and reimbursements with insurance companies for long-term maintenance (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2021). To control the cost for the next years, more information must be gathered. Following the last two and a half years, businesses have begun to recognize the advantages of telehealth appointments (Vesselkov et al., 2018). They understand that employing telemedicine services could save costs and resources while also being cost-effective for the institution (Vesselkov et al., 2018). Patients have also mentioned that when they see a doctor through video, they do not feel out of place.
Conclusion
According to published findings and assessments, the effectiveness of telehealth is beneficial to both patients and healthcare institutions (Donelan et al., 2019). It has so far been demonstrated that patients receive appropriate, comprehensive treatment. It has been shown that patients can use telemedicine to access high-quality health treatments that are not available in their neighborhoods. In order to provide their patients with the best possible treatment, healthcare organizations must understand the impact of the most recent information because technology is constantly evolving (Donelan et al., 2019).
NURS FPX 6214 Assessment 1 Technology Needs Assessment
References
Adelman, D. S., Fant, C., & Summer, G. (2021). COVID-19 and telehealth: Applying telehealth and telemedicine in a pandemic. The Nurse Practitioner, 46(5), 34- 43.
https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000737200.56057.2c
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2021). TeleHealth. Retrieved December 2022, from:
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/Telehealth
Donelan, K., Barreto, E. A., Sossong, S., Michael, C., Estrada, J. J., Cohen, A. B., Wozniak, J., & Schwamm, L. H. (2019). Patient and clinician experiences with telehealth for patient follow-up care. The American Journal of Managed Care, 25(1), 40-44.
Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021;2020;). Telehealth benefits and barriers. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 218-221.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013
Orlando, J. F., Beard, M., & Kumar, S. (2019). A systematic review of patient and caregivers’ satisfaction with telehealth videoconferencing as a mode of service delivery in managing patients’ health. PloS One, 14(8), e0221848- e0221848.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221848
Vesselkov, A., Hämmäinen, H., & Töyli, J. (2018). Technology and value network evolution in telehealth. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 134, 207- 222.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.06.011
Welsh, P. (2022). Ensuring patient confidentiality in the virtual world. BMJ (Online), 376, o471- o471.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o471
Wu, Z., Shen, S., Li, H., Zhou, H., & Lu, C. (2022;2021;). A basic framework for privacy protection in personalized information retrieval: An effective framework for user privacy protection. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 33(6), 1- 26.
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