Telemedicine Programs

Erin Keim

Old Dominion University

RUNNING HEAD: Telemedicine Programs 2

October 2, 2016

To whom this may concern:

I am writing to convey my support of launching a telemedicine program here in Central

Virginia. SB 19 Telemedicine Pilot Program was introduced by William M. Stanley, Jr. as being

a program involving the Department of Health and local hospitals to use this pilot program to

treat low-acuity illnesses as a way to cut down on costs, triage emergencies and focus care on

acute emergencies rather than chronic illnesses and low-acuity illnesses. This bill would require

the Department of Health to report any results to the State Board of Health and to the General

Assembly by the fall of 2019.

Telemedicine programs have been launched over the country, providing thousands of

individuals with the medical help they need, but with added convenience. According to InTouch

Health, we are seeing favorable results in providing care to psychiatric patients who are more

willing to participate in the telemedicine program than meeting in person (McClain, 2016) as

well as the Mayo Clinic providing advancements through their emergency telemedicine

programs (Berteotti, 2016).

Telemedicine programs, not only help to facilitate care to emergency rooms for acute

emergencies, but also help manage those with chronic illnesses which can be very expensive to

treat. Patients suffering from diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, chronic kidney

disease, and others are routinely visiting emergency rooms for treatment. Instead of visiting the

Emergency Department for treatment of a chronic issue such as congestive heart failure, patients

can use the telemedicine program to see a doctor in real time as well as the doctor being able
RUNNING HEAD: Telemedicine Programs 3

to assess patient through technology. Because people are living longer, we have a huge

population of older adults with chronic illnesses, resulting in frequent visits to the emergency

room for treatment. Telemedicine programs have also been used for home health care, providing

independence to those who do not wish to live their lives in the hospital setting. This program

has been also used for those seeking comfort care with their terminal illness. It provides comfort

and security to patients who would rather stay at home as well as convenience for them and for

their family members.

Some would argue that this program takes away from the face-to-face relationship

patients have with their doctors and can be a cause for medical errors. I believe, with all of the

advancements in technology, that this program should feel very similar to the environment of a

doctors office or emergency room. AMD Global Telemedicine Programs wrote an article stating

10 crucial steps to include in a telemedicine program (Vanderwerf). It does discuss keeping the

experience and environment close to what they would experience in person. If there are too

many variances, it will not be successful. If it seems to cutting edge for a patient or there are

too many wires and screens everywhere, it wont work. It must feel like being in a doctors

office. Some doctors may be reluctant to try this program because they want to be able to

physically assess the patient in person. Others are worried about glitches to the computer

systems, causing more of a headache than solutions (Harper, 2012). Doctors had problems going

from paper charting to computer documenting as well, but we can all see the benefit of doing so-

less confusion and medical errors.

This program certainly offers more benefits than problems and hope you will take a

moment to research this idea. It has proven success in many hospitals and clinics who use it
RUNNING HEAD: Telemedicine Programs 4

already. Improved patient outcomes and patient experiences are what make this program a

success. Thank you for your time and I am hoping to see this program launched in Central

Virginia in the near future.

Sincerely,

Erin Keim
RUNNING HEAD: Telemedicine Programs 5

Resources

Berteotti, C. (2016, August 18). Mayo Clinic Expands Emergency Telemedicine Practice. Mayo
Clinic News Network, 1. Retrieved October 2, 2016, from
http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-expands-emergency-telemedicine-
practice/

Harper, J. (2012, July 24). Pros and Cons of Telemedicine for Today's Workers. US News.
Retrieved October 2, 2016, from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2012/07/24/pros-
and-cons-of-telemedicine-for-todays-workers

McClain, L. (2016, July 28). HCA, Illini Community Hospital find psychiatric patients prefer
robots to in-person visit with a doctor. Healthcare It News, 1. Retrieved October 2, 2016, from
http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hca-illini-community-hospital-find-psychiatric-patients-
prefer-robots-skype-person-visit-doctor

Vanderwerf, M. (n.d.). 10 Critical Steps for a Successful Telemedicine Program. AMD Global
Telemedicine, 1. Retrieved October 2, 2016, from
http://www.amdtelemedicine.com/downloads/10_steps.pdf

"I pledge to support the honor system of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form
of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a
member if the academic community, it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of
the honor system. I will report to Honor Council hearings if summoned."
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N492: Advocacy Assignment Grade Rubric

Grading Criteria Comments Points

Introduction
Captures the readers attention; clarifies the importance
of the bill and issue for population, uses a thesis
statement to state the authors position.
[10 points]
Analysis of opposing arguments
Arguments against the writers position are addressed
and explanations are given as to why the opposing
argument is not as compelling, relevant or valid as the
writers argument. Citation should be used as rationale
for con position.
[20 points]
Argument and Support for your position
Writer provides a compelling, evidence-based case for
his/her position. Includes issue analysis and a thorough
explanation of why the reasons selected are the most
important and relevant to issue. Minimum requirements:
Include at least two reasons for supporting the issue
with rationale for each. Citations should be used as
rationale for pro position.
[30 points]
Conclusion
Arguments of the position are synthesized into a
conclusion to explain how the evidence provided
necessitates a specific course of action.
[10 points]
Use of Source Material
Writer has used at least three (3) sources to support the
pro and con arguments; sources are cited in text and
reference page per APA style.
[10 points]
Organization
Adheres to business letter format; is interesting, easy to
read and flows from one idea to the next.
[10 points]
Title Page, Spelling, Grammar, Honor Code
Correct title page format, spelling, and grammar.
Adheres to 2 page limit (except title, reference, honor
code and rubric pages).
[10 points]
Final Grade: (100 points)