Question

Mrs. Smith is 82 years old and is diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. Her two children live in California, while she lives in North Carolina in a small family home on 10 acres of land in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mrs. Smith has been in the hospital four times in the last year due to congestive heart failure. As her eyesight and mobility get worse with age, she has found it a challenge to stay on her medical plan and to do her shopping for the right foods she knows she should be eating. Mrs. Smith’s health plan, Purple Cross of North Carolina, assigned a nurse case manager to address her situation. Purple Cross provided a digital scale and a remote monitoring device that recorded Mrs. Smith’s condition every day by uploading her weight and transmitting the answers to a series of questions on a touch screen kiosk. The case manager also coordinated delivery of Meals on Wheels, providing low-sodium, diabetic-compliant dinners to Mrs. Smith on an ongoing basis. The case manager calls Mrs. Smith twice a week, taking the time to educate her about her medications, her activities, and the disease-specific elements that will keep her healthy and out of the hospital. When the case manager identifies that Mrs. Smith can no longer organize her daily medications, a digital medication dispenser will be provided that will keep her on her medication regimen. The medication dispenser will be preloaded with Mrs. Smith’s medications and will issue a subtle doorbell tone when it is time to take them. With the combination of remote and real-time (telephonic) support persons and technologies, Mrs. Smith can remain in her home and avoid further inpatient admissions.
Directions:
To complete this assignment:
Read the case study above.
Assume the role as the Public Relations Director for Purple Cross of North Carolina.
The CEO directs you to interview the Telehealth Director regarding the use of Telehealth with Mrs. Smith. The CEO directs you to create one thought-provoking question for each of the following topics:
Meeting the health needs of Mrs. Smith
Decision-making process for technology selected for Mrs. Smith
Benefits and risks in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Cost and staff involved in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Note: Your questions must be original; not copied or modified from any source, including your textbook. Your questions cannot simply rephrase the topic.
For each question, the CEO requires that you provide your rationale. Describe how the question will yield a thorough response, and not simply a “yes” or “no” answer.
Any cited sources to support your rationale statements must be identified, using APA formatting.
Prior to submission, review your responses to ensure that they contain no spelling or grammatical errors.
Submit the Week 4 Assignment via Blackboard by clicking on the “Week 4 Assignment” link.
Include the proper file naming convention:
CMP105_wk4_assn_jsmith_mmddyyyy.
For each topic, write your question and rationale.
Topic: Meeting the health needs for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
[Write your response here.]
Rationale:
[Write your response here.]
Topic: Decision-making process for technology selected for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
[Write your response here.]
Rationale:
[Write your response here.]
Topic: Benefits and risks in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
[Write your response here.]
Rationale:
[Write your response here.]
Topic: Cost and staff involved in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
[Write your response here.]
Rationale:
[Write your respon

Answer 1

Topic: Meeting the health needs for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
How can the telehealth services meet the health needs for Mrs. Smith?
Rationale: Mrs. Smith is an 82 years old women who is suffering from diabetes, congestive heart failure, impaired vision and hypertension. Her impaired vision and deteriorating condition has made it difficult for her to perform her regular tasks. Following the Telehealth services can certainly help her with her daily tasks. Technologies such as a digital scale and a remote monitoring device can check fluctuations in her health condition while providing proper comfort and home environment to the patient. Moreover, a telehealth technology can help the patient with her education sessions, which will also save her long visits to the healthcare.

Topic: Decision-making process for technology selected for Mrs. Smith
Your question:
What kind of telehealth technologies can be used to ease the basic living for Mrs. Smith?
Rationale:
The Telehealth technologies involving medication services can ease the basic living for Mrs. Smith. It can guide her with the medication and the activities that can benefit her without any visits to the hospital. Alarms and rings can help her recall the medication timing which can maintain the regularity of the medicines.
Topic: Benefits and risks in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Your question:

What are the benefits and risks in using the telemedicine technologies for Mrs. Smith?
Rationale:
The telemedicine services are highly beneficial for the patients as they make the healthcare process accessible and comfortable for the patients living in remote locations. However, fewer visits and digitalization of the process hampers the physician to properly analyze the condition of the patient which can impose negative effects to the patient health.
Topic: Cost and staff involved in using Telehealth technology for Mrs. Smith
Your question:

What can be the maximum cost and staff involved in using the telemedicine technologies for Mrs. Smith?
Rationale:

The Telemedicine technology will cost $79 to the patient. Moreover, a hospital visit cost almost $146 to the patient.

Staff trained in Telemedicine and Telehealth technologies is required to assist Mrs. Smith with her services. A nurse must be available to guide Mrs. Smith to the videos and other services. Moreover, an electronic medicine dispenser would be suitable for the patient.