Respiratory Therapy and Telemedicine
Effectiveness and Cost-Efficiency of Treating Chronic Respiratory Conditions with Telemedicine
Abstract
Recently, telehealth services have gained immense popularity among patient (NTT Data, 2014). However, although many patients approve the use of telehealth interventions, there are gaps in the existing body of knowledge that hinder the whole process (Smith et al., 2009). The analysis of recent and most relevant literature suggests that there is no consensus on the scope of using telemedicine to treat chronic respiratory patients, patient benefits of using telehealth services, their cost-effectiveness, as well as barriers to implementation. Addressing the identified gaps is the major task of this thesis study. The aim is achieved through secondary analysis of the qualitative data collected by Henderson et al (2013) and its subsequent comparison to findings retrieved from other sources. The analysis resulted in the major findings: (1) The use of telehealth to treat chronic respiratory patients is associated with high accessibility, convenience and patient confidence. (2) The application of telemedicine to treat chronic respiratory conditions does not reduce the cost of care, unless it is used in combination with the usual treatment. (3) The widespread of telehealth to treat chronic respiratory conditions is hindered by economic and legal constraints.
Keywords: Telemedicine, telehealth services, chronic respiratory conditions, patient benefits, cost-effectiveness.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction
Background
Statement of the problem
Purpose statement
Objectives of thesis study
Assumptions
Limitations
Definition of terms
Chapter 2. Literature Review
Introduction
Telehealth to treat chronic respiratory conditions
Effect of telemedicine on the quality of patient care
Cost-effectiveness of telemedicine
Barriers to telehealth implementation
Conclusion
Chapter 3. Methodology
Introduction
Participants
Materials
Design
Procedure
Chapter 4. Results
Introduction
Results
Summary
Chapter 5. Conclusions and Recommendations
Introduction
Conclusion
Recommendations
Recommendations for future research
Summary
References
Chapter 1. Introduction
Background
Talks about telemedicine as a way to reduce the cost of healthcare services without decreasing their quality have been underway for several decades (Lovett & Bashshur, 1979). However, although it took a lot of time to make telehealth a mainstream, the results achieved are impressive. According to American Hospital Association (2015), in 2013, 52 percent of U.S. hospitals utilized telehealth and another 10 percent were in the process of implementing telehealth services. The magnitude of implementing telehealth services reflects consumers’ interest in telemedicine. NTT Data (2014) suggests that 74 percent of U.S. consumers would use telehealth services. Moreover, 70 percent of patients feel comfortable communicating with their health care provider via text, email or video, and other 30 percent are actively using computer or other mobile …
