Research an economic opportunity that might be available within your healthcare setting that will provide ethical and culturally equitable improvements to the quality of care. Then, write a 2-4 page proposal for an initiative to take advantage of that opportunity, supported with economic data and an analysis of the prospective benefits.

Proposing a New Initiative- Adoption of Telemedicine in Patient Care

The implementation of telemedicine in patient care plays a significant role in improving the quality of care provided in healthcare facilities. Currently, healthcare organizations have focused on opening branches across different regions to serve many patients and increase profitability. Hospitals also outsource healthcare providers with expertise that their staff may not have, especially when treating patients suffering from diseases that require expertise (Hajesmaeel Gohari, 2019). There has also been rapid adoption of technology in the provision of healthcare services, including telehealth, which includes the remote provision of healthcare services. The effectiveness of telehealth can be enhanced by combining telehealth and telemedicine to exchange ideas on how to improve health outcomes. According to Malindi (2011), telemedicine is the exchange of medical information from one place to another through electronic communication. Healthcare providers use telemedicine to exchange information on a patient’s symptoms to arrive at the most accurate diagnosis.

Telemedicine benefits the healthcare organization and the patient by improving the quality of care provided by the organization (Quinton et al., 2022). Exchanging information among healthcare experts will guide healthcare providers on the patient’s medical care, thus creating positive health outcomes. A healthcare organization with a reputation for providing the best medical care based on positive client feedback attracts more clients, thus increasing profitability. Providing quality care to patients enhances the reliability of the healthcare organization. Therefore, society is guaranteed to receive the best medical care they need and are willing to pay any amount of money required for the services because they are assured that they are getting the best. Telemedicine also provides ethical and culturally equitable improvements to the quality of care by ensuring that healthcare providers act in the patient’s best interests. Telemedicine ensures that healthcare providers do what is suitable for the patient because the healthcare providers sharing information have to record the information received and how it was used in providing patient care. We offer assignment help with high professionalism.

The Economic Factors of Supply and Demand

Despite its high demand, there is a limited supply of telemedicine in healthcare facilities. According to Busso et al. (2021), the demand for telemedicine increased after the COVID-19 outbreak because of the regulations that restricted movement from one place to another. However, there is a limited supply of the service because of the reluctance of patients to have their medical records shared with other healthcare providers. The prevalence in the application of telemedicine is limited by the concern that there could be over-prescription (Busso et al., 2021). Dorsey & Topol (2016) argue that concerns about reimbursement and legal issues associated with telehealth could reduce the demand for telemedicine in healthcare facilities. Therefore, there is a need for a legal framework that appropriately regulates the application of telemedicine within the scope of the healthcare system.

Relevant Economic and Environmental Data Supporting the Adoption of Telemedicine

Existing data on demand for telemedicine illustrates a potential opportunity and the economic viability of telemedicine applications. To begin with, there is evidence that increased demand for quality care will prompt healthcare facilities to encourage healthcare providers to use telemedicine to consult other experts and professionals for better diagnosis. Telemedicine is also economically viable because it can be implemented using existing telehealth technology and attract more clients by providing high-quality care. Healthcare facilities can also use telemedicine to facilitate collaboration between healthcare providers in different branches, thus promoting high-quality care in all branches. Telemedicine could also help a healthcare organization reduce operational costs by outsourcing staff members who are not regularly used. The organization may also outsource healthcare providers paid high wages, such as surgeons specializing in specific healthcare fields, to reduce the cost incurred in salaries.

References

Busso, M., González, M. P., & Scartascini, C. (2021). On the demand for telemedicine: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.18235/0003225

Dorsey, E. R., & Topol, E. J. (2016). State of Telehealth. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(2),