Telehealth-Enabled Holistic Care- A Population-Specific Approach to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The delivery of healthcare services is becoming complicated as the demand for healthcare services grows against a shrinking healthcare workforce. In other cases, certain health situations hinder the ability of patients to receive healthcare services within hospital facilities or in-person care. The use of technology in healthcare delivery has improved the accessibility of care as well as health promotion. This article presents a case study and care plan involving a 67-year-old African American woman living in a rural U.S. The application of telehealth in the management of geriatric populations for health promotion, wellness preservation, and maintenance of function across the health-illness continuum is highlighted.

Population of Focus

Rural communities in the United States have limited access to quality care with majorly worse health outcomes (Cromer et al., 2019). They are often less diverse, with notable racial and ethnic disparities in socioeconomic status, health access, and outcomes. The health disparities are more pronounced among elderly minorities, especially elderly African Americans in rural areas. A majority of elderly African Americans in rural areas live mostly in low socioeconomic households. Older adults, especially African-American women, live alone or lack social support from relatives and friends. Elderly African-American women are also prone to multiple chronic health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. They are also limited in their ability to move around, and access required healthcare services as well as self-care.

Case Study

Mrs. D.K., a 67-year-old African American woman, lives in a small town in rural U.S. She has been living with type 2 diabetes since she was diagnosed two years ago. She was also recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Her mobility is also becoming limited as she ages and has joint pain. Mrs. D.K. lives with her 21-year-old granddaughter, four years since her only daughter passed. The granddaughter attends a nearby college and works at a coffee house in the town. She now has to balance her school and job and care for her sick and aged grandmother. Due to her low socioeconomic status and rural residence, Mrs. D.K. has limited access to regular medical care and support to help her manage her diabetes and high blood pressure. Her granddaughter also has limited skills regarding caring for her grandmother with her comorbid situation, including administering the prescribed medications correctly.

There are only five qualified specialists working at the local health community center. Mrs. D.K.’s granddaughter has been going to the health center for the last three months to collect medications and information on how to manage her grandmother’s diabetes and blood pressure. Notably, the rates of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke are higher in rural areas as compared to urban regions (Aggarwal et al., 2021). This is the case in Mrs. D.K.’s clinic. There are a number of patients competing for the same services. In some instances, Mrs. D.K. missed appointments as the physician was unable to travel to her home, there were many bookings, and the physicians could not manage to see her on time.

Care Plan

The first step in Mrs. D.K.’s care plan is to assess her situation with a focus on her physical capability and needs, including mobility capacity and needs, as well as other limitations related to diabetes, functional abilities and capacities such as her ability to bath and dress, and psychosocial needs. The assessment will also include her granddaughter’s mental well-being and ability to manage her education, work, and her grandmother’s health. The situation is affecting the mental health of Mrs. D.K. and her granddaughter, and both need readily available assistance with medication, health maintenance, and mental health support.

The interventions for Mrs. D.K. and her granddaughter’s situation will include implementing a telehealth service and the use of a smartwatch with the capability to monitor blood pressure connected to a mobile health application. The telehealth services will include consultations, blood sugar and pressure monitoring, guidance on medications and medication assistance, and other educational support to help with diabetes and blood pressure management over the phone and video calls. The implementation of telehealth services will provide a more convenient way for Mrs. D.K. to regularly check in with the specialists and honor all appointments without leaving her house or visiting her physically. The use of telehealth will also overcome the need for regular traveling and transportation limitations due to her socioeconomic status and age. The application of telehealth in rural and remote care delivery has proved to improve the effecti