Nursing Global Conference

Telehealth and other electronic health technologies change the way in which care would be provided to all patients, thus increasing access to care and improving health outcomes. Nurses are at the helm of these technologies through their duties and participation in virtual care provision and monitoring patients' health through utilizing digital tools from distant locations. This session will discuss some essential principles of telehealth and digital health technologies within nursing: best practices in virtual care, the seamless assimilation of technology, and efforts to advance the quality and reach of healthcare.

Telehealth allows a nurse practice by way of remote, home-based access keeping patients connected with health providers from their homes. Attempts to minimize marginalization that this strategy often creates are also good for people dwelling in rural or low socioeconomic status areas. Telehealth nursing involves teleconsultation and assumes a critical position in virtual assessment, patient education, and care of chronic conditions. This means with the support of video calls, messaging apps, and devices to monitor conditions from a distance, nurses can have contact with the patients, observe health care improvements for them, and even provide counseling on how they can manage their conditions all without having to spend much time with them face to face.

EHRs, wearable devices, and mobile health applications enhance the art of nursing with digital health technology. EHRs enable the nurse to document client history, monitor and share the trend with other providers of healthcare. Wearable devices-for instance heart-rate monitors and glucose sensors-enable the nurse to upload real-time data that can be used in making clinical decisions. Mobile health applications allow patients to track symptoms, reminders concerning medication, and access to health information so that they may be quite actively involved in their health care. These electronic tools are able to help make communication easier, procedures efficient, and even support care through the use of data.

Integration of telehealth and digital health in nursing practice has therefore to focus on patient-centered care. For example, nurses need to pay attention to digital literacy: making sure that the patient is comfortable with the technology they are placed with. Patients will be more comfortable with the adoption of telehealth tools in case of clear communication, technical support and step-by-step information given about the telehealth tools that they are going to use. The nurses also need to concern themselves with the security and privacy of the information and have to adhere to rules of this nature, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), regarding confidentiality of patients' details.