Assignment Instructions
Explore one way that telehealth could influence the healthcare system in this country. Identify one ethical issue of telehealth. Explore different avenues to address the ethical issue.
Sample Answer
Explore one way that telehealth could influence the healthcare system in this country.
Telemedicine influences the healthcare system by enhancing the delivery of preventive treatment that is essential in achieving long-term health benefits. Telehealth has made health services more available, organized, and effective but research on the effectiveness of healthcare is still advancing. The technology enables the patients to receive medical attention at the convenience of the doctors and the patients. This means that the patient does not need to take time off the workplace to go attend care services. Telemedicine improves the ability of healthcare providers to care for a lot of patients without them not being there physically. Additionally, the provision of care using telemedicine technology holds great promise for patients living in remote areas (Haleem et al., 2021). This is of high effectiveness in countries where healthcare facilities are unavailable and scarce. For the delivery of healthcare services through telemedicine to be effective, doctors and patients must possess sufficient software and hardware security.
Identify one ethical issue of telehealth. Explore different avenues to address the ethical issue.
One of the ethical issues in telehealth is privacy and security. Environmental conditions play an important role in telehealth security and privacy and this refers to the indirect and direct effects of social connections, living conditions, and individual's surroundings on the patient's privacy and security protections. Vulnerable populations such as adolescents, the elderly, and the homeless struggle with their mental health due to lack of privacy during telehealth visits. Other times, telehealth patients find it difficult to share sensitive data with patients suffering from chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS and behavioral health problems (Houser et al., 2023). The ethical issue can be solved by providing an accessible and safe environment where the patient's privacy and security are addressed. Resources and guidance should be provided to the patients on how to find a private space for them to conduct an appointment. Additionally, it is essential for the minor patients to be informed whether the parents and guardians should be present during the time of the appointment.
References
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors international, 2, 100117. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8590973/#:~:text=Telemedicine%20is%20described%20as%20a,appointments%20and%20optimising%20patient%20outcomes.
Houser, S. H., Flite, C. A., & Foster, S. L. (2023). Privacy and Security Risk Factors Related to Telehealth Services–A Systematic Review. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 20(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9860467/