Guidelines for the Capstone Research Paper The Capstone Research Project Paper is a critical analysis of an issue relevant to the role of the health administrator. In this analytical research paper, s

Running head: TELEHEALTH AND HEALTH CARE DELIEVERY 1

Telehealth in Healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Raven Cuyler

Belhaven University

MHA 670

07/11/2020

Dr. Lewis

Telehealth in Healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

I Identification of the Issue

In the last five months, the nation and the world, in general, have been exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the spread of the virus, cities and even nations have been put on lockdown (Ren, 2020). As a result, access to healthcare has been hampered. Consequentially, health care has been compromised. As the nation adjusts to the COVID-19 measures enforced there is a need to ensure that health care is still provided to all even for those in remote areas.

II Background

Due to the nature of transmission of the COVID-19 virus cities have been put under lockdown. Movements have been restricted as well as social interactions in an attempt to curb the spread of the disease, consequentially, it has become hard for people to access health care unless in critical situations (Lippi et al., 2020). The most affected are the chronically ill, psychiatric patients, and those in remote areas. It has become hard for them to be seen by their physicians for progress assessment and remediation purposes.

III Problem Analysis/Literature Review

According to Kutikov et al. (2020), oncologists are having challenges in the diagnosis, active treatment, as well as the longitudinal follow up of cancer patients as they struggle to balance the risk of delayed cancer treatment against the potential risk of COVID-19 exposure. In reference to Devi (2020), the COVID 19 pandemic has led to the shutting down of airlines and borders and this has restricted the movement of medical supply and personnel limiting health care delivery. Despite the challenges posed in health care delivery, Brigo et al. (2020), propose the use of telehealth in the delivery of health care as evidenced by the use of telehealth in follow up care of epileptic patients.

IV Discussion

There is an immediate need for health care provision to continue despite the travel and interaction restrictions in response to the pandemic. Through the research, it is possible to identify a clinical solution that can be implemented through policy enactment and implementation. The proposed solution offers a way in which patients can remotely get diagnosed and depending on the severity of their situations can be offered treatment or advice.

V Proposed Solutions

The proposed solutions involve the use of both synchronous and asynchronous telehealth. The solutions offer a way in which patients can remotely see physicians and receive care via virtual means. The solution is in line with the health care guidelines as concerns behavior and interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VI Conclusions

The study looks at how the implementation of telehealth policies can go a long way in ensuring that health care provision and delivery still happens. By analyzing the processes, as well as the effectiveness of telehealth health care, can be provided during the pandemic period despite the restrictions in place.

VII Christian Worldview

The implementation of telehealth is in line with the Christian worldview of healthcare delivery. The model affirms that God is sovereign and is the ultimate healer. The model further supports the adherence of religious practices such as diet restrictions and practices as patients are not restricted in terms of religious preferences.

References

Brigo, F., Bonavita, S., Leocani, L., Tedeschi, G., Lavorgna, L., & Technologies, D. (2020). Telemedicine and the challenge of epilepsy management at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Epilepsy & Behavior, 110, 107164. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7225695/

Devi, S. (2020). Travel restrictions hampering COVID-19 response. The Lancet, 395(10233), 1331-1332. Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30967-3/fulltext

Kutikov, A., Weinberg, D. S., Edelman, M. J., Horwitz, E. M., Uzzo, R. G., & Fisher, R. I. (2020). A war on two fronts: cancer care in the time of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M20-1133

Lippi, G., Henry, B. M., Bovo, C., & Sanchis-Gomar, F. (2020). Health risks and potential remedies during prolonged lockdowns for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Diagnosis, 7(2), 85-90. Retrieved from https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/dx/7/2/article-p85.xml?currency=USD&tab_body=fullHtml-75008

Ren, X. (2020). Pandemic and lockdown: a territorial approach to COVID-19 in China, Italy, and the United States. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 1-12. Retrieved from https://rsa.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15387216.2020.1762103