The Use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies

Telehealth and telemedicine are clinical systems that utilize technology to deliver healthcare services remotely. This can include video conferencing, phone calls, text messaging, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices (Shaker, 2023). Telehealth and telemedicine have the potential to improve outcomes and efficiencies in a variety of healthcare settings, including primary care, specialty care, and mental health care.

This paper will synthesize peer-reviewed research on the application of telehealth and telemedicine to improve outcomes and/or efficiencies. Specifically, the paper will identify four peer-reviewed research articles published within the last five years that provide evidence to support the use of one type of clinical system to improve outcomes and/or efficiencies.

Literature Review

Shaker, A. A., Austin, S. F., Storebø, O. J., Schaug, J. P., Ayad, A., Sørensen, J. A., … & Simonsen, E. (2023). Psychiatric Treatment Conducted via Telemedicine Versus In-Person Modality in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mood Disorders, and Anxiety Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 10(1), e44790–e44790. https://doi.org/10.2196/44790

The systematic review and meta-analysis discussed the efficacy of telemedicine for treating psychiatric conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, and anxiety disorders in adults. The findings indicating that telemedicine is comparable to in-person treatment across multiple parameters, including efficacy, patient satisfaction, working alliance, and attrition rates, highlight the potential of telepsychiatry as a valuable alternative.