Using Telehealth to Provide Diabetes Care, Case Study Example

Telehealth systems provide a number of benefits to the end user when they are properly supported by expert knowledge and sufficient resources. In residential communities, healthcare providers must be able to provide comprehensive education to residents so that they are able to closely monitor their diabetes condition on a consistent basis. This process requires healthcare experts to be fully aware of the risks associated with this population and to be apprised of the conditions under which residents are lacking sufficient tools to closely monitor their health. Therefore, a telehealth system in this capacity is likely to provide an effective approach to monitor health status and determine when treatment needs might change, based upon the health status that is observed at any given point in time when a practitioner is not onsite. In any case, a patient-centered approach must be used that supports system development and that captures an understanding of the different elements that comprise the system and its components (Ciemins et.al, 2011). The system must encompass a number of key variables that will have a positive impact on outcomes and provide a framework that sets the system apart from others in its class, while also providing the best overarching strategy to support patient care in a successful manner (Ciemins et.al, 2011).

With the telehealth system, the management of diabetes must demonstrate a high level of effectiveness and an approach that surpasses expectations in order to accomplish the intended objectives (Ciemens et.al, 2011). The system must encompass the appropriate level of training and guidance in an effort to produce the intended outcomes that is aimed at employees who operate the system, as well as the end users (Ciemens et.al, 2011). The model must incorporate a number of specific objectives that will be used to facilitate a successful programmatic effort for patients and to demonstrate a high level of support to serve patients effectively and efficiently at all times so that they will have greater control over their diabetic state with the tools that are provided to them (Ciemens et.al, 2011). Finally, privacy rights and personal data must be protected through the system that is selected, using encryption and other tools that will encompass a successful approach to patient care that captures the spirit of the exchange and the needs of the overarching system (Ciemens et.al, 2011).

The use of telehealth technology is a critical component in driving the success of managing and treating diabetes in an effective manner across a variety of population groups. This process also demonstrates the importance of shaping outcomes through directives that will have a lasting impact on patients and that will provide them with sufficient tools and resources to facilitate successful outcomes. This type of approach is not dehumanizing because it aims to provide a level of support to patients that is not currently available and that may support their overall health and wellbeing in an effective manner (Carter et.al, 2011). In communities that are deemed medically underserved and where resources are limited, telehealth may serve as a critical component of a long-term approach to treatment and may provide a framework for achieving successful results on a broader basis (Carter et.al, 2011). This practice requires the organization to be proactive in its efforts to produce effective results and to recognize the value of developing a strategy that connects patients to their health information more directly and with the intent to provide support in their growth, rather than to deter them from gaining treatment and understanding their condition (Carter et.al, 2011).

The telehealth approach to patient care provides an opportunity for patients who otherwise might be disconnected from the process to gain a greater understanding of the issues that are most relevant and to be mindful of the challenges that they face as they attempt to improve their health. The connection that this type of system provides to patients should not be discounted or ignored because it frames a number of different challenges effectively and supports the demand for services that are not only timely, but that will cover those periods when other resources are not available. It is during these periods that there may be a higher risk of symptoms or other challenges that could disrupt a patient’s quality of life in different ways; therefore, these conditions must be fully explored and appropriately identified in a timely manner to ensure that patients receive the best possible care, given the underlying circumstances that exist within their lives.

In some population groups, such as older adults, there is evidence to suggest that they are likely to be critical of different methods or measures that are used to support their health, including the potential use of technology in these areas. It is important to identify some of the challenges that exist and to be mindful of the perceptions and opinions of many older adults who do not believe that telehealth technologies are appropriate in meeting their needs effectively. These practices require a high level understanding and support of the tools and resources that are available to patients, while also recognizing that some patients may not be supportive of these tools, including newer technologies. Many older adults who are unfamiliar with technology to begin with are likely to remain resistant to these alternatives and may not be supportive of the different options that are available to them through telehealth that will aim to manage their health more effectively than without these tools (Hanson et.al, 2013). Therefore, there must be opportunities for education in place that will enable older adults to better understand these tools and to be mindful of the options that are available to support their needs effectively and efficiently as they struggle with diabetes and other conditions that impact their daily health and for which medication and lifestyle changes may be required (Hanson et.al, 2013). In this context, organizations that employ technologies such as telehealth services must recognize the disconnect between many patients and the technologies themselves and to be mindful of the different issues that may emerge with respect to patient outcomes (Hanson et.al, 2013). In this capacity, patients must be educated regarding these tools and should be made aware of their numerous benefits, even if they demonstrate resistance on different levels, as this is a critical component in ensuring that older adults are able to embrace these technologies on a wider scale to meet their needs (Hanson et.al, 2013). In this context, patients must be provided with a framework that will be effective in supporting their needs and in determining how to best approach patient care and treatment without delays (Hanson et.al, 2013).

Nurses and other clinicians who work with older adults must be mindful of their potential resistance to technology and should be able to provide an environment in which patients are able to reap the benefits of these technologies in a timely manner. For older adults with diabetes, for example, these tools are essential to the overall direction of treatment and in supporting their general health and wellbeing, given the limitations that may exist in treating patients through traditional means. The leap to telehealth technologies, therefore, requires a higher level understanding and acceptance of the tools and resources that will be used to accomplish improved treatment and outreach so that the condition does not deteriorate due to limited treatment circumstances or a lack of knowledge regarding the direction that treatment should go. It is imperative that patients must be provided with an environment in which they are able to be effective in meeting patient care needs and in supporting the growth of the practice environment through the use of telehealth. Therefore, buy-in of this technology from the older adult population is of critical importance, and it must be able to demonstrate a high level understanding and acceptance of this model in treating older adult patients effectively and without delays or gaps in care that could impact their overall health and wellbeing in the present and future.

References

Carter, E. L., Nunlee-Bland, G., & Callender, C. (2011). A patient-centric, provider-assisted diabetes telehealth self-management intervention for urban minorities. Perspectives in Health Information Management/AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association, 8(Winter).

Ciemins, E., Coon, P., Peck, R., Holloway, B., & Min, S. J. (2011). Using Telehealth to provide diabetes care to patients in rural Montana: Findings from the Promoting Realistic Individual Self-Management Program. Telemedicine And E-Health, 17(8), 596-602.

Hanson, G. J., Takahashi, P. Y., & Pecina, J. L. (2013). Emerging technologies to support independent living of older adults at risk. Care Management Journals, 14(1), 58-64.