Telehealth refers to providing health services such as medical care,education based on training, health information services, and digitalcommunication technologies. Telehealth technologies include digital photographyand forward technologies (Market.,2021). Telehealth aid healthcare in lessurgent care, handling medication, monitoring chronic conditions, following upwith patients after hospitalization, and ensuring health training andcounseling. The telehealth technology can be delivered in many days, such assynchronous telehealth, conducted via phone and video call. Synchronous ensuresthere is interaction with the patients in real-time. Also, telehealth can be deliveredthrough asynchronous technologies where patients and healthcare providersinteract based on different times. Also, telehealth can be provided throughremote patient monitoring, where the devices transmit the patient data remotelyto the healthcare providers, where the transmission occurs in real-time.Telehealth expands the health care access through convenience where the patientdoes not travel for appointments to the healthcare clinics. Also, telehealthensures patients continue receiving care based on their medication.

The barriers that telehealth face includelimited access to high-speed internet, affecting the programs’ ability based onthe appointment to be accessed chiefly when patients are located in ruralareas. Sometimes telehealth can be involved when the individual has limitedaccess to the smartphone; for example, mobile health and remote patientmonitoring systems need access. Some patients might not have the devices toaccess and the required skills to operate the system. Also, the reimbursementaffects telehealth, where each state has specific rules and regulations and isbased on different types of services that Medicaid can offer.

References

Markert,C., Sasangohar, F., Mortazavi, B. J., & Fields, S. (2021). The use oftelehealth technology to support health coaching for older adults: A literaturereview. JMIR Human Factors, 8(1), e23796.