TN004 Technologies Supporting Applied Practice and Optimal Patient Outcomes

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Western Governors University

D029 Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care

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Technologies Supporting Applied Practice and Optimal Patient Outcomes

The integration of information technology in healthcare has rapidly expanded, profoundly transforming patient care delivery (Gecomo et al., 2020). One significant advancement is telemedicine, a technology enabling healthcare services remotely without the necessity for face-to-face interactions (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). By harnessing computers, the internet, and wireless communications, telemedicine facilitates healthcare delivery over distances, enhancing accessibility and convenience for patients. Despite facing obstacles such as limited internet infrastructure and unequal access to technology (Ftouni et al., 2022), telemedicine has proven to improve clinical efficiency and patient outcomes significantly. This section reviews recent peer-reviewed studies that evaluate telemedicine’s effectiveness, its impact on healthcare delivery, limitations encountered, and insights gained from practical implementation.

What role has telemedicine played in emergency medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Witkowska-Zimny and Nieradko-Iwanicka (2022) highlight telemedicine’s crucial role in emergency medical care amid the COVID-19 crisis. The authors describe how telehealth became essential not only for managing COVID-19 patients but also for providing care to individuals with chronic illnesses, thereby ensuring continuous healthcare access when in-person visits were restricted. They emphasize telemedicine’s versatility across multiple settings, including prehospital care, intensive care units (ICU), and post-emergency department discharge. While recognizing the inability to perform physical exams as a limitation, the study confirms telemedicine’s effectiveness in maintaining and enhancing care quality under pandemic constraints.

How has telemedicine affected general surgery training and patient care?

Nakashima et al. (2022) investigate the dual impact of telemedicine on patient management and educational experiences within general surgery residency programs. Their findings suggest that telemedicine not only streamlines patient care processes but also enriches surgical trainees’ learning by offering diverse clinical exposures remotely. However, they acknowledge that their study sample lacked diversity, which calls for further research to obtain more representative insights into telemedicine’s overall effectiveness and acceptance in surgical education.

What evidence exists on telemedicine’s efficiency in orthopedic and trauma follow-up care?

In a randomized controlled trial conducted by Muschol et al. (2022), telemedicine’s utility in follow-up care for orthopedic and trauma patients in Germany was examined. The study reports increased patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes, particularly in rural areas where healthcare access is limited. Despite the positive findings, the authors note the relatively small sample size and data collection inconsistencies as factors that could influence the generalizability of the results.

How does telemedicine enhance home dialysis care and patient communication?

Scofano, Monteiro, and Motta (2022) assess telemedicine’s impact on a home dialysis program, reporting enhanced patient satisfaction and better treatment outcomes. They highlight how telehealth fosters improved communication between patients and healthcare providers, facilitating timely interventions and reducing complications. Nevertheless, the authors raise concerns about telemedicine’s limitations, specifically the absence of direct physical examinations and reduced interpersonal interactions in remote monitoring scenarios.

Can telemedicine contribute to environmental sustainability?

Morcillo Serra et al. (2022) explore telemedicine’s environmental benefits, particularly its role in lowering CO2 emissions. Their research indicates that telemedicine reduces the carbon footprint by minimizing patient travel and paper usage, thereby contributing positively to climate change mitigation efforts. Despite the promising results, they caution that further studies with larger samples are necessary to comprehensively understand telemedicine’s environmental impact.

Summary Table of Key Findings on Telemedicine Implementation

Study	Focus Area	Key Findings	Limitations
Witkowska-Zimny & Nieradko-Iwanicka (2022)	Emergency medicine during COVID-19	Telemedicine vital for remote care of COVID-19 and chronic patients; improved care across settings	Lack of physical examination capability
Nakashima et al. (2022)	Surgery training and patient care	Enhanced patient care and resident education via telemedicine	Participant homogeneity; need for broader research
Muschol et al. (2022)	Orthopedic/trauma follow-up care	Increased patient satisfaction and outcomes in rural areas	Small sample size; inconsistent data collection
Scofano et al. (2022)	Home dialysis program	Improved communication and patient satisfaction	Limited physical contact; interpersonal connection concerns
Morcillo Serra et al. (2022)	Environmental impact	Reduced CO2 emissions due to less travel and paper use	Small sample size; requires further environmental studies

Conclusion

Telemedicine represents a transformative technology in modern healthcare, supporting applied practice and optimizing patient outcomes across various specialties. While it significantly enhances accessibility, efficiency, and education, it is not without challenges—namely technological limitations, the absence of physical examination, and the need for equitable access. Moreover, telemedicine offers promising environmental benefits by reducing travel-related emissions. Ongoing research and improvements in infrastructure will be crucial in maximizing the potential of telemedicine to deliver high-quality, sustainable healthcare.

References

Ftouni, R., AlJardali, B., Hamdanieh, M., Ftouni, L., & Salem, N. (2022). Challenges of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 22(1), 207. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-01952-0

Gecomo, J. G., Klopp, A., & Rouse, M. (2020). Implementation of an evidence-based electronic health record (EHR) downtime readiness and recovery plan. Retrieved from https://www.himss.org/resources/implementation-evidence-based-electronic-health-record-ehr-downtime-readiness-and

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Morcillo Serra, C., Aroca Tanarro, A., Mary Cummings, C., Jimenez Fuertes, A., & Tomás Martínez, J. F. (2022). Impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions due to the use of telemedicine. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16864-2

Muschol, J., Heinrich, M., Heiss, C., Knapp, G., Repp, H., Schneider, H., Thormann, U., Uhlar, J., Unzeitig, K., & Gissel, C. (2022). Assessing telemedicine efficiency in follow-up care with video consultations for patients in orthopedic and trauma surgery in Germany: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(7), e36996. https://doi.org/10.2196/36996

Nakashima, B. J., Kaur, N., Wongjirad, C., Inaba, K., & Sheikh, M. R. (2022). Telemedicine experience of general surgery trainees: impact on patient care and education. The American Surgeon, 88(8), 2017–2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/00031348211023402