Advantages of Implementation of Telehealth in Hospitals - Case Study Example

? The Advantages of Implementation of Telehealth Innovations in Hospitals: A Case Study on Tele-ICU With the continuing introduction of new technology and new innovations it is important that hospitals, especially rural hospitals make use of the changes in available technology, as this can offer decreased operational cost, decreased patient mortality and an increased level of patient care. This report examines tele-ICU which involves the use of real time information and patient tracking to allow patients to be monitored as a group and as individuals from a control station that is in a separate location. Tele-ICU is a form of telehealth, and provides many opportunities for the health professional to increase patient care. Introduction The world is rapidly changing rapidly including advances in technology which significantly improve the ability of hospitals to provide care for their patients. Innovation and the implementation of new technology is an essential part of the continued development of hospitals, particularly those operating in the rural environment. This report presents a case study on the implementation of innovative methods and techniques in the area of telehealth, a rapidly expanding focus of health research and implementation. Telehealth is a broad term that encompasses the use of any form of technology in the medical field. This may be as simple as consultations over the telephone, to video conferences, to the application of real time monitoring of vital signs . It is not known how far telehealth will eventually extend as technology continues to be developed, but it provides a crucial role in hospitals and patient care, offering innovative methods of increasing level of care and decreasing patient mortality. Intensive care units (ICUs) admit millions of patients every year, but despite this the mortality rate is still high, averaging between ten and 15 percent . It has been considered that high levels of intensivist care as well as the implementation of standards for intensivist can significantly decrease the mortality rate in urban hospitals. Because of the limitation in available intensivists an effective method of achieving the same results is the use of telehealth to spread out the resources that available and increase the level of clinical outcome as well as the economic outcomes. Tele-ICU is an application of this that is widely used and has substantial potential in rural hospitals to decrease the workload and an increase in efficiency. Telehealth and Intensive Care Units One of the most important factors in ICUs is the monitoring of patients. This ensure that staff are able to quickly know which patients require assistance, foresee any potential problems, and monitor a large number of patients without high amounts of manpower being required. Tele-ICU was first developed in 1982 as a method of caring for patients in hospitals that did not have intensivists or that had only a limited number . It has since expanded to become a system which allows for the continuous monitoring and sharing of information between bedside physicians and nurses, and a monitoring station. This is achieved through the use of two-way audio and video technology through remote connections and allows for the monitoring of many different patients simultaneously. As a consequence of this technology, the monitoring station, rather than the patients themselves becomes the primary focus of staff time and attention. The number of staff that are required to run the station varies substantially depending on the number of beds that the system covers, with networks that contain less than 70 beds being able to be run by a single physician and critical care nurse . The monitoring station allows the access of real-time information concerning the patients, as well as patient histories and test results all from the single location . Success of Tele-ICU The application of tele-ICU has not been restricted to urban hospitals, but has also seen widespread use in the rural community. In 2004 a tele-ICU was established in a rural community within the Avera Health System. The community consisted of a tertiary care facility, four regional hospitals, two community hospitals and critical housing that houses more than 5,000 patients. After a five year period it was established that the smaller hospitals showed an increased level of care as well as decreased costs, with a total of close to $1.25 million being saved across the smaller hospitals. Mortality rate was unaffected in two of the four regional hospitals, but decreased by five percent in the remaining two . A second study also showed a significantly positive effect of tele-ICU. Here, the ICU managed a total of 2,800 patients for a period of three years. Following the implementation of tele-ICU, the average length of stay was found to decrease by 3.5 days within the ICU and 4.4 days within the entire hospital. Likewise, the level of mortality decreased from 11% to 6% . Limitations of Tele-ICU Like any technology, tele-ICU has limitations. One limitation is how tele-ICU is integrated into patient care.. From the perspective of beside clinicians and medical staff there is some fear that the integration of telehealth will decrease their role, potentially leading to losses of jobs. As a consequence, many clinicians will choose to underuse the tele-ICU technology and integrate it poorly with their bedside care . This can result in the system being ineffective and poor results being produced as a consequence. While telehealth offers a wide new field to substantially improve mortality and levels of patient care within hospitals, significant barriers exist to its implementation. One issue that must be addressed is reimbursement. For hospitals to make use of these technologies, such as tele-ICU there is often a significant start up cost involved in getting the system operational. The hospital needs to be able to receive some form of reimbursement of the cost, or implementing any form of telehealth will be difficult if not impossible for hospitals that are low on available finances . In the United States tele-ICU systems have been introduced to large health care organizations and hospitals, but many smaller ones are yet to have access to the technology. This is largely because the technology has been distributed through affiliate hospitals . Conclusion The applications and effects of tele-ICU use within hospitals provide strong evidence of the need for rural hospitals to take advantage of new innovations and technologies. While the implementation of technology such as that used for tele-ICU may be intensive in terms of time for training, money spent and changes in established routines, such implementation is important for the continued growth of hospitals and the continued offering of high levels of care. Tele-ICU provides one example of the uses of new technology and innovation within hospitals and the role that this can play at decreasing both mortality and costs. For rural hospitals, the information provided by this case study is particularly important, as many rural hospitals are limited in the number of staff that they have and the implementation of tele-ICU shows one manner in which staff can be used more effectively. References Read More