COVID-19's Impact on Digital Medicine and Telehealth

Introduction: COVID-19 and Digital Medicine

COVID-19 has hugely impacted the deployment and use of digital medicine. This is especially evident given that, as the number of infected individuals increases, it becomes difficult for healthcare systems to accommodate those numbers (Islam et al., 2020). The risk of infection also increases when social distancing protocols are not observed. Therefore, healthcare providers and experts have advocated for the treatment of patients in the comfort of their homes in order to reduce the spread of the virus. According to Islam et al. (2020), COVID-19 has also led to the use of a wide range of technological devices to monitor patients for minor symptoms and, thus, avoid hospitalization or in-person visits.

Wearables, Mobile Devices, and Telehealth in Nursing Practice

Wearables, mobile devices, and telehealth may contribute to big data in nursing practice in various ways. For instance, the use of wearables in nursing practice can represent an innovative advancement in the field. The use of wearable technology can be particularly effective during the present pandemic by creating a medium whereby a wide range of patient data — such as blood oxygen saturation levels, lung sounds, ECG readings, body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate — are integrated and monitored in more convenient formats (Islam et al., 2020). Mobile devices would prove useful in efforts to promote preventative treatment for infectious and chronic diseases and to improve vaccine uptake. Telehealth devices, on the other hand, could help improve patient well-being by, for instance, facilitating the sharing of patient vitals with other healthcare providers (Kruse et al., 2019).

Barriers to Digital Medicine Implementation

Although digital medicine improves the delivery of healthcare services, there are various challenges that limit its implementation. For instance, lack of technological access is a common barrier to the adoption of mobile health, particularly in regions or locations with poor network coverage. Cost is another significant barrier. The expense of implementing and deploying some of the solutions and innovations associated with digital medicine can be prohibitive, especially regarding the acquisition of relevant software and hardware (Kruse et al., 2019).

Other important barriers to the implementation of digital medicine include, but are not limited to, resistance to change among providers and staff, concerns about the confidentiality and privacy of patient information, lack of training, language barriers, illiteracy, absence of public policy to guide implementation efforts, and the technological gap (Kruse et al., 2019). It is also important to note that, as Joseph (2013) suggests, one factor that has not been prominently explored is the influence of social structural factors. In the author's words, "social structural factors such as age, gender, education level, occupation and race/ethnicity, as well as people's state of health and their geographical location play a major role in influencing how such technologies are taken up" (Joseph, 2013, p. 109).

References

Islam, M., Mahmud, S., Muhammad, L. J., Islam, M. R., Nooruddin, S., & Ayon, S. I. (2020). Wearable technology to assist the patients infected with novel coronavirus (COVID-19). SN Computer Science, 320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-020-00335-4

Kruse, C., Betancourt, J., Ortiz, S., Valdes Luna, S. M., Bamrah, I. K., & Segovia, N. (2019). Barriers to the use of mobile health in improving health outcomes in developing countries: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(10), e13263. doi:10.2196/13263

Joseph, T. (2013). Healthcare information technology innovation and sustainability: Frontiers and adoption. IGI Global.