Telemedicine: Benefits and Weaknesses

This assignment analyzes the implementation and effectiveness of telemedicine in healthcare. It examines a study by Torabi et al. (2016) that evaluated the use of telemedicine to improve treatment time for patients receiving intravenous recombinant plasminogen activator (rt-PA). The analysis highlights the benefits of telemedicine, such as cost-effectiveness and timely treatment delivery, but also points out its limitations, including the inability to generalize findings to all stroke teams. The conclusion emphasizes the ongoing potential of telemedicine to improve healthcare outcomes.

Telemedicine distribution & weakness
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Introduction
Advances in healthcare information technology as patient portals, electronic medical records
(EMRs), electronic health records (EHRs), real-time coordination of patient care have led to
advancement of healthcare delivery (Froehle, 2014). Healthcare administration leaders along
with clinical staffs are devising ways to best implement, such technologies for betterment of
healthcare delivery. Telemedicine has provided patient care and treatment through advancement
in healthcare technology. Virtually interfacing with patients from a distance could allow delivery
of service in case of disaster events or rural locales. The scope of this analysis deals with
Analysis
The scope of article presented by Torabi, M.S., et. al (2016) was focused on evaluating
operational policies improving patient in population that receives intravenous recombinant
plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (Torabi, 2016). Telemedicine was applied to minimize treatment
time to patients, for providing cost-effective time efficacy treatment. Physicians were randomly
located in hospitals in regions based on their zip codes of work and residence.
Weakness related to the study was inability to derive results from regional stroke teams. The
study has not been able to provide any generalized prescriptive framework for universal
telestroke.
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Conclusion
Analysis from cost effective methods for deployment of telemedicine included evaluation of
multiple policies regarding on-time treatment. Deployment of telemedicine across regional
hospitals had high percentage of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator treatment. Evaluating
various cost-effective strategy concluded that central position of on-call stroke team physician
was the best. Application of on-going benefits of telemedicine will help fully benefit from the
technology.
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Reference Lists
Froehle, C. M. (2014). Interruption and forgetting in knowledge‐intensive service environments.
Production and Operations Management, 704-722.
Torabi, E. F. (2016). Monte Carlo simulation modeling of a regional stroke team's use of
telemedicine. Academic Emergency Medicine, 55-62.
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