Telehealth Policy and Digital Healthcare: An Article Review

Introduction: Digital Healthcare After the Pandemic

One of the positives to emerge from the pandemic is that it expanded awareness of the possibilities of digital healthcare in providing critical care delivery. Many providers shifted to digital care to reduce the risk of disease, according to Subramanyam (2022), but substantial policy shifts on the part of organizations are necessary to make this a reality. In addition to meeting medical providers through telehealth appointments, there is also the possibility of artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring patients' vital signs, as well as providers offering virtual psychological therapy and physical diagnosis (Subramanyam, 2022). A favorable IT policy environment, according to the author, also means training people and facilitating patient information-sharing.

At the government policy level, there need to be uniform policies governing how data is stored and recorded, in order to maximize the value of telehealth and digital sharing while protecting patient privacy. The goal is to integrate data systems, aggregate the data, and then analyze it — not only to provide care, but to generate insights that facilitate better future care for patients (Subramanyam, 2022). There must likewise be increased controls to reduce fears about data piracy, given the number of highly publicized breaches of healthcare information.

Data Policy, Privacy, and 5G Integration

The evolution of data speed in the form of 5G will substantially facilitate acceptance and integration, but it will also increase the widespread accessibility of data online, raising the risk of piracy even as it improves overall comfort among patients using online tools to manage their health and private information (Subramanyam, 2022). Ideally, policymakers, academics, private entities, and the public sector will collaborate to enhance patient safety, comfort, and ease of use (Subramanyam, 2022).

The article makes a persuasive case that telehealth is likely to be the wave of the future and an important answer to concerns that individuals in remote and rural areas will not have access to providers. Even the once-concerning digital divide — the lack of access to digital technology among lower-income groups — is apt to become less problematic as more and more people gain access to smartphones. On the other hand, the fact that many rural areas of the country still do not have reliable broadband access, and that there are security concerns about using public connections, underlines the need to address IT infrastructure issues if people are to rely more heavily upon telehealth for improving public health.

The Digital Divide and Rural Access

Reimbursement of physicians for telehealth consultations is also essential. Even if there is extensive patient and provider training in how to securely use telehealth in a way that better facilitates accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, and even if IT infrastructure is adequate, public and private insurance entities must adequately reimburse these services at the same rate as other forms of consultation. For example, even if it is more convenient for a patient to meet a physician for a mental health consultation virtually, the psychologist will not agree to this unless he or she can be assured of comparable reimbursement from the patient's insurance. Patients in underserved areas without easy access to providers will not be able to fully realize the potential of telehealth unless insurance covers consultations and providers are willing to participate.

Conclusion