Telehealth and its Utilisation
The utilisation of communications technology and digital information, including mobile devices and computers in accessing healthcare services and managing symptoms of diseases is known as telehealth. Medical services can be availed from home with the help of these technologies; the doctors and clinicians may use them to support and improve healthcare services. In 2017-2018, the rate of preventable hospitalization in remote areas of Australia was 2.5 times higher than the major urban cities (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). In 2016, barriers to access specialist and GPs in remote areas were reported to be much more than in major urban areas (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). The aim of telehealth is to increase healthcare accessibility to target groups such as people living in isolated communities and rural areas, eldery patients, and immobile patients. Telemedicine can help solve this issue and aid in connecting GPs, specialist doctors, patients and nurses using telecommunication systems and additional facilities including voice conferences and scan television (Wootton, Craigand Patterson 2017). In Australia, telehealth implementation has been possible due to the enhancements in computer and communications technology (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018) which can consequently help solve the issues of access to medical care in remote and rural places. Computerised systems help in providing access to pathology reports, diagnostic imagesand information retrieval through computer-based information systems.
The goal and objectives of telehealth, also interchangeably known as electronic health (e-health) or mobile health (m-health),is to increase healthcare accessibility to people living in isolated communities and rural areas. Telehealthaims to make healthcare services easily available for people who have restricted mobility, transportation affordability or limited time (Wootton, Craigand Patterson 2017). It provides people with a convenient way to access medical specialists and enhances coordination and communication between the healthcare team members and patients. It also aims to provide support to the patients for self-management of their health. Some examples of telehealth services used in healthcare organisations are patient portals, remote monitoring, virtual appointments, consultation, communication between doctors, medical health records and personal health applications (Razmak and Bélanger2018). Telehealth has immense implications on the equitable distribution of health care services among the Aboriginal and Torres Islanders. Telehealth can not only enhance healthcare education among the Aboriginal people but improve their health through m-health technologies with the participation of community healthcare centres.
Telehealth assists healthcare organisations and healthcare providers to increase access to and enhancing the quality of healthcare provided in rural areas (Razmak and Bélanger2018). The use of telehealth in delivering healthcare services helps in minimising the burdens and barriers of patients like commuting issues. Telehealth’s importance gained more prominence in providing healthcare services duringthe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a decrease in in-person clinical visits (Mahoney2020). People who did not contract the coronavirus and people who are at higher risk of developing COVID-19,such as the elderly population with underlying conditions and diseases,should continue to receive clinical care on a regular basis without being exposed to the virus due to coming in contact with other patients (Mahoney2020). Hence, telehealth has been a boon to the medical sciences and helped serve people with critical needs. Digital technologies in healthcare such as artificial intelligence (AI), telehealth, and bid data analytics, have shown considerable promise in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 by increasing the public health responsiveness at the population level (Mrazek and O’Neill 2020). Therefore, telehealth and e-health technologies are a twenty-first-century approach that provides patient-centred care and protects the physicians and patients at the same time.
Goals and Objectives of Telehealth
Telehealth has a long history and began as home-based care as described in an article in 1879. The article states the use of the telephone in reducing unnecessary in-person visits. In 1925 the “Science and Invention” magazine showed the use of the radio for diagnosing patients remotely (Losorelliet al. 2021). Home-based person-centred care started improving when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) started the concept of physiological monitoring of health from adistance. The concept developed further when NASA partnered with the Rural Papago Advanced Health Care (Sageena, Sharmaand Kapur 2021). The electrocardiogram inventor published a paper in 1906 on the tele-cardiogram and since 1920, medical advice was imparted to passenger and cargo ships via the radio. Alaska was a historical model for telemedicine technology and its development for many years. Community health services in remote villages could perform audiometry and otoscopy and the data were sent to medical specialists in Fairbanks or Anchorage for further diagnosis and treatment plans. Modern-day telehealth has advanced from radio technology to high-definition flatscreens and computer-based technology (Razmak and Bélanger2018). One of the earliest examples of hospital-based telehealth was introduced in the 1950s and 1960s, during which a close-circuit television connection was developed between the Norfolk State Hospital’s psychiatric divisionand the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute in the United States of America. Hospital-based telehealth quickly developed in two sectors: intensive care and stroke care. Research has shown that high-quality imaging and stroke examinations can be possible over distance (Losorelliet al. 2021).
The telehealth market has grown exponentially over the last few decades. Telecommunications enables healthcare experts to diagnose, evaluate and treat individuals virtually (Wootton, Craigand Patterson 2017). Telehealth sciences have evolved in the past decades and currently secure an integral position in the healthcare system. The global market of the healthcare sector has been estimated to grow significantly by 2026, with a value of over $175 billion (Lee and Lee2021). The healthcare industry has embraced telehealth more rapidly due to the demands of the coronavirus crisis, which has increased the investments in telemedicine and telehealth.In 2019, the market size of m-Health globally was estimated to be valued at $40.7 billion (Al-Blooshi, H., Al-Shamiand Sidek 2020). During times of crisis, AI-powered e-Health technology like healthcare chatbots could be leveraged for providing automated clinical interactions with critically ill patients. The healthcare chatbots integrated with a medical history and patient information such as symptoms, treatments, medications, and stage of disease can save a lot of time and resources (Mbungeet al., 2021). It can also help in improving the accuracy and speed of the process of diagnosis.
The future of telehealth in healthcare might be influenced by the development of newer technologies, including the advent of 5G technology. The faster network of 5G will ensure a complete transformation of healthcare delivery through telecommunications (Mbunge et al., 2021). It will be essential in delivering remote monitoring, medical images, virtual meetings,and medicines. Other supporting technologies such as cloud technology, blockchain and the internet of medical things (IoMT) are essential in updating the telehealth sector (Mbunge et al., 2021). The telehealth business has expanded globally and global investments have been a continuous source forexpansion and enhancements of the telehealth industry and are expected to grow in the coming years.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that the recent coronavirus crisis has highlighted the importance of the development of telehealth and telemedicine in healthcare systems. The importance is likely to expand over the coming decades with the aim of providing healthcare services to remote populations. It has the potential to enhance the quality of care and make equitable healthcare access possible. The growing demands formedical services havesecured a brighter future for the telehealth industry and the development of mobile healthcare applications. The pandemic has made it easier for the telehealth industry to flourish and will continue to secure a stable position with the increasing number of chronic diseases requiring constant monitoring and care. The growing population is also another factor in the growth of the telehealth market. Therefore, the telehealth industry has a future in the healthcare industry and will continue to improve with the advent of newer technologies.
Reference
Al-Blooshi, H., Al-Shami, S.A. and Sidek, S., 2020. Mobile health and users demographic characteristics and preferences. A case study from the UAE. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(12), pp.143-149.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019. Rural & remote health, Access to health care – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. [online] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/rural-remote-australians/rural-remote-health/contents/access-to-health-care [Accessed 21 April 2022].
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018. Telemedicine in Australia, Summary – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/telemedicine-in-australia/contents/summary [Accessed 14 April 2022].
Lee, S.M. and Lee, D., 2021. Opportunities and challenges for contactless healthcare services in the post-COVID-19 Era. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 167, p.120712.
Losorelli, S.D., Vendra, V., Hildrew, D.M., Woodson, E.A., Brenner, M.J. and Sirjani, D.B., 2021. The future of telemedicine: revolutionizing health care or flash in the pan?. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 165(2), pp.239-243.
Mahoney, M.F., 2020. Telehealth, telemedicine, and related technologic platforms: current practice and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing, 47(5), pp.439-444.
Mbunge, E., Akinnuwesi, B., Fashoto, S.G., Metfula, A.S. and Mashwama, P., 2021. A critical review of emerging technologies for tackling COVID?19 pandemic. Human behavior and emerging technologies, 3(1), pp.25-39.
Mrazek, M. and O’Neill, F., 2020. Artificial intelligence and healthcare in emerging markets.
Razmak, J. and Bélanger, C., 2018. Using the technology acceptance model to predict patient attitude toward personal health records in regional communities. Information Technology & People.
Sageena, G., Sharma, M. and Kapur, A., 2021. Evolution of smart healthcare: Telemedicine during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series B, 102(6), pp.1319-1324.
Wootton, R., Craig, J. and Patterson, V., 2017. Introduction to telemedicine. CRC Press.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
