Back in 1962 the Jetson family graced the screens of Americans and showed a future full of wonder. Images of jetpacks, robot housekeepers, and machines that could make you an instant juicy hamburger glowed on television screens. 60 years later we may not have Rosie the robot housekeeper, but might have something even better: Telemedicine. It might not be as flashy, but it’s one of the biggest innovations in healthcare and is likely to become more common in the coming years.
Telemedicine is the use of technology to provide healthcare to patients using a number of mediums such as audio calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, mobile applications and a host of other platforms. Essentially, telemedicine could make it possible for patients to receive their outpatient care from the convenience of their home or a local telemedicine hub. For those living in rural areas of the country, this could reduce travel time. For older adults who no longer drive, it could be a way of staying in their home longer knowing they can receive medical care easier. And for a major organization such as the Veterans Affairs who pay out travel pay to their Veterans, it has been a tool to save money.
While this is all wonderful, there needs to be a way that we are training healthcare workers, dietitians in particular, to confidently use telemedicine in their organization. I believe that there are three areas that should be focused on. The first being undergraduate education in dietetics where students can learn about specific language and questions that should be used in telemedicine appointments. A skilled dietitian in telemedicine would be able to retrieve just as much information from a phone call as they would a face-to-face appointment. Second, dietitians need to be trained in new hire orientations. Here dietitians can learn both the telemedicine policies for their organization as well as what types of technology is being used by the nutrition team there. Lastly, dietitians should participate in continuing education courses to grow their skills as dietitians working in the area of telemedicine. With education and training in these three areas, dietitians will hopefully feel confident and competent to provide the best service they can to their patients. And with all that time saved, patients can continue working on making their very own Rosie the housekeeper we can all use one day.
Interesting topic and idea for undergraduate-dietetics majors to have more practice with telemedicine. The language and questions to ask during these types of telemedicine use would be a good addition to counseling classes!!
ReplyDeleteI found your work super interesting! I work for an organization called Lutheran Social Services, and we were the first agency to invest in telehealth infrastructure for mental health services in North Dakota. One obstacle we have found is having strong internet access connection points because rural ND has poor broadband. Also, sometimes it is tough to find the necessary privacy at home. However, one way we have worked around those obstacles is setting up locations (in churches, social service centers, etc.) in rural areas where people can go and receive services. Telemedicine is a new and exciting field, and I am glad you are doing research to improve the services people are provided through this method!
ReplyDeleteGreat job making this research accessible for the common reader. Even though someone may not be in the field or understand much of dietetics, the message of this post is easily understood. I also like how it opens with a pop culture reference to catch the reader's attention.
ReplyDeleteTo give the piece even more direction, I would suggest moving the idea in the first sentence of the last paragraph to the beginning. It will help your readers understand what the post's purpose, prompting them to read on.