You now care for J. S. at her home and photograph her wound. The photos are sent to the multidisciplinary care team at the wound center. The team makes changes in the treatment plan based on your assessment and photographs of the wound. A physician in a nearby state also has a weekly video conference with J. S. about the plan of care. Step 2 Include responses to the following questions in your paper: What concerns about using telehealth do you have for J. S.? What potential liability or licensure concerns exist? What privacy concerns potentially exist? What limitations might telehealth have in this case? Cite any sources in APA format.
Concerns Surrounding Telehealth
Concerns About Using Telehealth For J. S.
As a registered nurse who works with wound-care patients like J. S., I am concerned about using telemedicine to provide her care. First and foremost, I am concerned about the quality and completeness of the information communicated by images of the wound. Capturing all necessary features and nuances in a still image may be difficult, perhaps leading to inadequate assessments and treatment recommendations (Falanga et al., 2022). Second, relying on a video conference with a physician in another state may present difficulties in terms of timely access to care, particularly in emergencies or for urgent concerns.
Potential Liability or Licensure Concerns
The use of telehealth in J. S.’s treatment creates possible liability concerns since it may be more difficult to establish clear lines of responsibility and accountability in a virtual care setting, making it more difficult to determine who is accountable in the event of a bad outcome. Concerns about licensure may emerge because the physician delivering care via telehealth may be located in a different state, potentially resulting in legal and regulatory complications linked to the practice of medicine across state lines (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). Furthermore, compliance with state-specific telehealth rules and licensing requirements can be difficult and vary, complicating the legal environment even further.
Potential Privacy Concerns
- S.’s privacy concerns about telehealth could include unauthorized access to or distribution of her sensitive medical information and wound images, which could result in breaches of confidentiality and the exposing of personal health data. Furthermore, the security of the telehealth platform utilized for consultations and data transmission could be jeopardized, thereby exposing J. S.’s health information to hackers or cyberattacks.
Telehealth Limitations in this Case
Telehealth may have difficulties in delivering a full physical examination in this scenario since it relies on images and video conferencing, which may not capture all key clinical features and tactile information required for wound assessment. Furthermore, the incapacity of telemedicine in post-mastectomy wound care to provide hands-on care and prompt intervention for problems such as bleeding or extreme pain could be a serious constraint.
References
Falanga, V., Isseroff, R. R., Soulika, A. M., Romanelli, M., Margolis, D., Kapp, S., Granick, M., & Harding, K. (2022). Chronic wounds. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 8(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-022-00377-3