Telemedicine, Essay Example

Introduction

In modern healthcare organizations, telemedicine is an essential component of practice to sustain a competitive advantage and provide excellent quality of care at all times. The choice of strategy for telemedicine requires input from key stakeholders in order to accomplish the desired objectives to improve the organization and its level of efficiency. Healthcare organizations must thoroughly examine their options with respect to telemedicine alternatives so that they are able to provide patients with the utmost quality of care and treatment under the appropriate conditions. Most importantly, organizations must identify their available resources and address the potential impacts of telemedicine implementation not only on their budgets, but also their ability to meet acceptable standards of care. Selecting a telecommunications system for telemedicine requires expert knowledge of the capabilities of different systems and which option is most feasible for the organization and its available capital and resources.

Analysis

Selecting a telecommunication system for a telemedicine application requires some degree of technical knowledge and an understanding of how telecommunications aligns with telemedicine to facilitate the delivery of information to patients. Most importantly, resources should be evaluated so that the most viable option is selected for implementation. Organizational decision-makers should recognize the importance of a system that will promote efficiency, is simple to operate, and provides the greatest possible return on investment. This will ensure that the appropriate choice has been made and will provide the level of support and convenience that telemedicine is expected to offer. It is also important to identify resources that will be available to support a telemedicine implementation effort to encourage an appropriate use of resources and capital as necessary to achieve project success.

An active discussion regarding the choices that are available for telecommunications must be properly addressed by organizational experts and consultants as necessary. This process will determine how the telecommunications system will best align with organizational needs and the challenges of developing a telemedicine system that will accomplish the necessary objectives (Shaqrah, 2010). These contributions will support active engagement from key stakeholders, as their contributions are invaluable in supporting the growth and development of the organization and its telemedicine strategy (Shaqrah, 2010). From this perspective, stakeholders should offer their insight and expertise to ensure that their investment in the organization is worth the risk (Shaqrah, 2010). Key stakeholders such as leaders, investors, and technology experts should discuss the potential options they have with respect to telecommunications so that expert care and treatment may be provided in different forms to support and enhance quality of care for patients, which is of the utmost importance to healthcare organizations (Giorgio, 2011).

Adopting telemedicine efforts for a healthcare organization requires a modern and open approach to patient care that does depend exclusively on human contact in order to thrive (Giorgio, 2011). This is a challenging premise to consider; therefore, the effectiveness of the telecommunication system must address the specific elements of care and treatment that will improve patient outcomes most effectively (Giorgio, 2011). Telecommunications is a critical component of this practice and is instrumental in supporting widespread communication efforts between patients, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare providers (Giorgio, 2011). Furthermore, patients must possess the capability to connect to the system in the home environment without difficulty and on a regular basis so that if they require care or guidance, they are able to obtain it effectively (Giorgio, 2011). Therefore, the choice of a telecommunication system will have a tremendous impact on the ability of patients to utilize the system in the desired manner (Giorgio, 2011).

Conclusion

Telemedicine is a complex yet critical process in modern healthcare systems that has a positive impact on patient outcomes and quality of care. It is necessary to establish a system that includes a number of important telecommunications components that will enable patients to communicate with their healthcare providers at home and in mobile environments. These factors are critical to achieve successful outcomes and to convey the importance of stakeholders and their input into the selection process. It is necessary to identify the resources that are required to establish an effective telemedicine and telecommunications network to accommodate patient needs in non-traditional healthcare environments. Mobile technologies and personal computers are only two alternatives to consider when establishing a telecommunications strategy; however, these alternatives are critical in supporting telemedicine efforts over the long term (Giorgio, 2011). From this perspective, key stakeholders within an organization should provide input and express their views regarding the selection of a telecommunications system that is cost effective, resourceful, compatible, and that improves quality of care for patients, such as those in remote areas. This is an important step towards the discovery of a strategy that will have maximum impact on the organization and its primary mission to provide high quality care to patients across many areas. An organization will benefit when it has gathered input from its key stakeholders in order to make decisions regarding technology that will demonstrate a true understanding of the patient population and the types of services that they require in order to achieve greater health and wellbeing. This is an important step in determining how to best move forward with a telemedicine strategy that is fully aligned with organizational objectives.

References

Giorgio, A. (2011). Innovative Medical Devices for Telemedicine Applications. Telemedicine Techniques and Applications, Edited by Georgi Graschew and Stefan Rakowsky, 19-44.

Shaqrah, A. (2010). Adoption of telemedicine among health care services: The strategic adoption. Journal of e-Health Management, 19.