Who, What, Where

Who:  Who is receiving delivery of these services?  Patients all over the world are reaping the benefits of telehealth.  In the article by Coyle et al., (2007), as part of a teaching program, a group of nursing students provided care to residents of a low income senior citizens apartment complex, living alone, located in the Washington, DC area.  Besides weekly meetings with the residents the students provided follow up care via the telephone by collecting health information, promotion of disease prevention and genuine reassurance.  The phone component of the program required the student to engage in attentive listening, and providing care and support to their resident.  This experience proved to be challenging to most of the students who could not rely on nonverbal cues to perform physical assessments.  Gradually they adjusted and gained confidence in their abilities. 



What:  What type of equipment is involved with telehealth?  click on the arrows to see some amazing equipment.

As you can see from the videos, patients can have one small machine that takes their blood pressure, heart rate, weight, O2 saturation, it asks them if they are short of breath, ankles are swollen, if they are having difficulty breathing, and much more.  This is transmitted to a nurse miles away and medication adjustments can be made by their primary care provider (PCP) and relayed back to the patient the same day. 
Isn't this amazing!!!!!!!!!!

Where:  Where are these services deliverable?  Anywhere there is telephone/television service.  If you remember back in the beginning of the tutorial, there was a veteran patient receiving telehealth services in the mountains of Colorado, also in San Juan Puerto Rico.  This is never the problem. 

Patients who move from one state to the another for the winter months can contine to have medical coverage with their PCP through telehealth.  They do not have to change providers when they use the telehealth system.

As patients age they may also choose to age at home.  In the article by Creek, et at,. (2005), people will prefer to grow old at home and facilities will need to accommodate them at home.  Continuous monitoring with technology devices implemented in the home (smart homes) will allow individuals, care givers, and family members a little less stress about leaving their loved one alone and it will provide the assistance the elderly require to stay at home to grow old.