Telemed – Peer Response – Marilyn

Peer Responses:

Citations: At least two high-level scholarly reference in APA per post from within the last 5 years

relate to another journal reading

• As a student nurse practitioner, I haven’t personally used telemedicine yet, but I understand the importance of its role in providing better healthcare access. Telemedicine enables healthcare providers to treat patients remotely, removing geographical and transportation barriers that delay timely medical treatment (Nittari et al., 2020). Underserved communities may be hours away from specialty care, so they may need to access it as efficiently as possible. It is specifically helpful for patients living in rural areas or those who have mobility limitations due to chronic conditions to be able to visit the doctor via telemedicine (Cortelyou-Ward et al., 2020). Instead of missing work or school to attend the office frequently, they can participate in virtual sessions from home. Accordingly, recommended treatments and ongoing issues are better managed due to this increased convenience (Cortelyou-Ward et al., 2020). Besides addressing provider shortages in major cities, telemedicine is also useful in rural areas. Regardless of the location of the patient, a specialist can evaluate more patients in a day through virtual appointments. 

While telemedicine can’t replace all in-person medical care, it is a great alternative or complement to many routine appointments, prescription renewals, counseling sessions, and postoperative follow-ups that do not require a physical exam (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). When applied appropriately, it can greatly improve patient outcomes with travel obstacles or time constraints. The goal is to make healthcare more accessible to people wherever they need it. Technology will help more individuals receive comprehensive primary care and chronic condition management as it becomes more widespread and integrated into standards of care.