Description

If you are wondering whether telehealth services can really replace in-person contact with a physician, nurse, or other health professional, and whether it is safe to use, then this micro-course is for you. This micro-course is designed for learners who are working in healthcare as well as consumers. Telehealth has been around for over 20 years, but the recent surge in telehealth use due to the pandemic requires patients to understand what telehealth is, its benefits and limits, and necessary safety practices when participating in telehealth. This micro-course will cover how to protect your personal health information (PHI), physician ethical concerns with telehealth, and how to move forward with this technology.

What You Will Learn

Upon successful completion of this micro-course, you will be able to:

Differentiate between telehealth and telemedicine.
Identify at least three benefits of telehealth.
Understand patient and provider safety with patient health information and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) concerns.
Recognize potential ethical concerns around telehealth.
Describe the outlook for telehealth.

Eligibility

Must be 18 or older

Refund Policy

You will have 24 hours, or until you receive your completion certificate, to request a full refund after purchase, whichever comes first. No hidden fees. All books and materials are included with purchase.

Faculty Bio

Cheryl Cullen

Dr. Cheryl Cullen is a senior contributing faculty member in Walden University’s College of Management and Human Potential. Dr. Cullen is a nurse who has found a niche teaching economics, finance, healthcare reimbursement, and healthcare management for the last 10 years at Walden. As a registered nurse, Dr. Cullen worked at the bedside in CCU and labor and delivery, then as a nurse manager, director of education, and operations . Dr. Cullen worked in Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) for six years and was pleased to see Medicare approve telehealth for all Medicare patients in 2020. The change has had a positive impact on the care of all patients, including older adults. Dr. Cullen believes that as telehealth continues to grow, informed patients are just as important as informed providers.

Curriculum

Differentiate Between Telehealth and Telemedicine
Identify the key differences between telehealth and telemedicine, specifically the scope of practice for physicians and non-physician providers. A discussion about reimbursement for telehealth will provide understanding of the financial impact on the patient/participant.
Identify at Least Three Benefits of Telehealth
Telehealth has improved health outcomes for seniors and patients who reside in rural areas by providing broader access to care. The importance of follow-up visits to manage acute and chronic medical conditions is key to improving and maintaining health and quality of life. Access to education for professionals—for example, diabetes educators—has improved disease management and reduced complications.
Ensure Patient and Provider Safety With Patient Health Information
Identify what patient health information (PHI) is, federal regulations to protect it and the patient, and how to access PHI. Understanding the importance of PHI protection and ensuring we share it only with people we can trust keeps us safe and keeps our information private. This is especially important when we hire private health coaches or other health providers.
Recognize Potential Ethical Concerns Around Telehealth
Health literacy is an ethical problem in both in-person and telehealth modalities. Ensuring the patient understands and can follow the care plan can make or break a successful patient outcome. Using the teach-back method to ensure understanding is a cornerstone in patient education. As consumers, we have to make sure the person we engage in telehealth services is certified and will maintain our PHI in a confidential manner. Physicians may be concerned about the ethics of telehealth services because they are seeing a patient remotely and may miss a symptom clue. This is a problem that continued training and equipment enhancements can alleviate.
Look Toward the Future for Telehealth
Improvements such as patient medication compliance, follow-up visit compliance, and better patient understanding of the plan of care have been documented as an outcome of the recent surge in telehealth/telemedicine use. The advances over the past two years have exponentially changed the outlook of healthcare.

Accreditation Statement

Walden University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development through the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Provider Unit P0469.

Criteria for Obtaining Contact Hours

This nursing continuing professional development course offers content that includes overviews and descriptions, engagement activities, resources, and a final assessment. Within 180 days of the course purchase date, follow these steps to claim nursing contact hours:

Complete all content in each micro-course,
Achieve 80% or higher for the final assessment,
Complete the end of course evaluation, and
Download and print or save your contact hour certificate.

Disclosure Statement

The planners and authors of this nursing continuing professional development activity disclose no relevant financial relationships.

While professional development activities offered by an American Nurses Credentialing Center Provider Unit typically satisfy the requirements of most states, Walden University recommends that participants ensure that the content offered meets their individual requirements. To the extent that contact hours must be approved within one’s state of residence or licensure, participants should check with their state board of nursing before enrolling in any professional development activity. The state board of nursing determines the number and type of contact hours that can be claimed for professional development activities.

Features

Social Change and Advocacy

Learn how telehealth can increase access to care and improve health outcomes for seniors and patients in rural areas

Flexible Learning

Easily fit learning into your busy life through short, tightly focused courses.

Action-Oriented Problem Solving

Learn how to select a telehealth provider, ask the right questions, and protect your PHI

Awards

Micro-Course Badge for How to Make Telehealth Safe and Ethical

$45.00

How To Enroll?

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How to enroll?

1Add course to cart
2Create your account
3Register for course
4Make payment and submit application
5Start learning

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email [email protected] for additional assistance

Who is this for

Individuals in healthcare and others who are curious about telehealth or who may have already participated in telehealth and want to make sure to get the best care with this new care model
Consumers who want to ensure their health information (PHI) is safe when using the internet to connect with their health provider
Consumers who want to understand the risks and benefits of using telehealth