Question

Jack Anderson is an 85-year-old retired machinist. He has an eighth-grade education and lives on a fixed income in a rural community 100 miles from a major city. He has congestive heart failure (CHF) and takes a loop diuretic (furosemide) and digoxin for his condition, both of which he gets through mail-order pharmacy. Mr. Anderson has Medicare but tries to limit his doctor visits because he doesn’t like to drive to the city, and the cost of gas puts a strain on his monthly budget. His community has high-speed internet, but Mr. Anderson has not installed it because “he moved to the country to get away from everyone.”

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Discuss several factors that would make Mr. Anderson an ideal candidate for telehealth. (2)

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2. When Mr. Anderson comes in for an appointment, what could the nurse say to encourage Mr. Anderson to participate in telehealth to manage his CHF? (2)

3. If Mr. Anderson agrees to participate in telehealth, what should the practitioner assess in each of the telehealth sessions with Mr. Anderson? (2)

Answer 1

1.Telehealth is the delivery of health care services by means of telecommunication and information technologies and thus overcoming the distance constraints especially to undersrved populations and those who living in rural and remote areas. Here Mr. Anderson is an ideal candidate for telehealth because he is living in a rural area where distance from health system is a critical factor and he cannot afford the cost of visit to hospital. for proper utilisation, a good network connectivity is needed. Here, his community has high speed internet and he can install it at anytime.

2. When Mr. Anderson came for an appoinyment the nurse should encourage him to use telehealth by explaining that it will help to mange the demand for services for the people living in remote areas ,those who cannot travel to the hospital. she should also emphasise that it will ensure more effective health care services for him thruogh the telephone and it will reduce the cost of travelling to hospital. regular health advices will be provided by the specialists. Medicines will be prescribed accordingly and reach to his home regularly.

3. In each of the telehealth sessions with Mr. Anderson, the practitioner should ask for his body weight , ask whether there is breathing difficulty ,edema, neck vein distension, any abdominal distension, any change in the urinary elimination . if he is having any such problems the practioner should change the drugs or the dosage of drugs.