The Benefits to Implementing Telehealth Solutions in Hospitals
With technology becoming more prominent in the healthcare world, there are more items that hospitals need to consider implementing in their building. Taking into consideration if the new technology will help or hurt patients while also deciding if it will help nurses work efficiently are some of the considerations that must be taken into account.
In addition to these considerations, the U.S. is in the middle of a nursing shortage that the entire healthcare community can feel the effects of. Nurses are the primary ones caring for a patient's physical and emotional needs. Long hours, high care standards, an increased number of patients, and the stress of the job lead to burnout in a significant percentage of nurses across the country. Hospital systems see nurse burnout leading to more infections, lower ratings, and higher patient mortality.
But studies show that telehealth solutions can reduce the stress on nurses and significantly decrease cases of burnout. Telehealth equipment helps streamline workflows, enabling nursing staff to focus on the task at hand instead of being pulled in multiple directions. Telehealth solutions, including functional telehealth equipment, benefit nurses, providers, and the patients they care for.
Benefits of Telehealth in Nursing
Telehealth services are becoming increasingly popular. The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in this new method of patient care, but post-pandemic, the industry continues to grow. From 2020 to 2027, the market is projected to grow from $79.79 billion to $396.76 billion. Telehealth is here to stay.
And for good reason. Nurses and patients alike benefit from all that telehealth services have to offer. We found the top 3 benefits Telehealth has to offer nurses and patients alike.
1. Telehealth Saves Time
Telemedicine services drastically reduce the time commitments required of patients. Forbes notes that telehealth services could save over an hour and a half of commuting and waiting room time for each visit. In addition to saving patients commuting time, nursing staff no longer have to experience the various distractions that can happen when traveling between patient rooms. Instead, they can monitor and communicate with their patients from a central location.
2. Telehealth Makes Care Accessible
Many patients, especially those in rural communities, do not have reliable transportation to make it to and from their medical appointments. This transportation barrier leads to a cascade of health and social issues that negatively affect the individual as well as health systems. Telehealth services eliminate the need for patients to drive to every appointment or find someone who is able to drive them if they don't have a reliable form of transportation. Instead, it allows patients to meet with nurses and doctors from the convenience and comfort of their own homes, and lighten some of the stress.
3. Telehealth Promotes Better Patient Outcomes
Nurses and providers utilize telehealth for a variety of patient care purposes: remote home monitoring; communication and counseling with patients; and even psychotherapy services as part of behavioral health.
When nurses have the proper tools to provide telehealth services, everyone wins. Understanding what nurses need and want in telehealth equipment empowers them to do their jobs well in supportive environments. In turn, nurses feel valued and work more efficiently. Patients receive better care, leading to hospital system expansion. The right telehealth tools and equipment affect both daily and long-term operations within a hospital.
Conclusion
In an environment where the backbone of the healthcare industry is facing burnout and leaving their jobs, finding ways to help them do their jobs are crucial. Telehealth exists to offer other avenues for nurses that do not include burnout. Altus understands how telemedicine devices can help, and we used these top benefits when designing our products. Check out our Cameo carts to see how we’ve addressed these needs, read our blog on what nurses look for in their own Telehealth Equipment, or contact us to learn more.