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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Dr. Loretta
Schlachta-Fairchild RN, President & CEO June 5, 2001 It’s called “telemedicine”, but it’s not just for doctors! Telenursing is the use of telemedicine technology to deliver nursing care and conduct nursing practice. In short, nurses can use interactive video and digital monitoring technologies to transport their clinical skills, increase productivity and address the nursing shortage dilemma in selected clinical areas. For example, in Home Health Care, one nurse may drive to see 5-7 patients per day. Using a telenursing approach, one nurse can “dial up and visit” 12-16 patients in the same amount of time. Other arenas ripe for Telenursing practice include school nursing, public health, community health, doctor’s office nurses, hospice nurses, nurse practitioners, psychiatric clinical nurse specialists, wound care/ostomy nurses and other specialties where physical touch is not key for every encounter. Reasons for nursing visits can include teaching, monitoring, coaching, family support, pain management, assessment – all of which can be effectively, yet efficiently accomplished using a Telenursing approach. Telenursing is also a method whereby mature nurses can bring their years of experience back to the clinical arena without enduring the physical burden of “floor” nursing in hospitals. And what about quality of care? The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in its 2001 Evidence Report, Telemedicine for the Medicare Population found “….studies….demonstrate that clinicians are satisfied with their clinician-interactive telemedicine services experiences, …..patients, parents of patients, and families of patients [are] satisfied with these services as well”. The 2000 U.S. Telenursing Role Study was a national web survey conducted by iTelehealth Inc. under the direction of Dr. Loretta Schlachta-Fairchild, Principal, President & CEO. Findings show an increase of 600% in the number of Telenurses practicing in the United States. Telenurses practiced in 40 of the 50 states, took care of pediatric, chronically ill, high risk pregnant, cardiac, psychiatric, neurological and rehabilitation patients, among others. Telenurses reported nine new nursing roles resulting from use of telemedicine technology. They practiced in 29 different settings including hospitals, home care agencies, disease management companies, federal hospitals, universities, military installations, prisons, call centers, web portals and group nursing practices. What is the
primary barrier to embracing telenursing? Dr. Schlachta-Fairchild states
“Nurses at first think that using technology as a vehicle to care for patients
is somehow cold – those of us who have been involved in telenursing know that
patients in general love to be “on TV”, and they appreciate the warmth and
caring that this type of high tech-high touch technology allows, not to mention
improved access to their healthcare providers.” Furthermore, Dr.
Schlachta-Fairchild. reports “technology is rapidly becoming affordable for
consumers to receive visits from their doctors and nurses at home, in assisted
living facilities, in nursing homes – before they get
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Dr. Loretta
Schlachta-Fairchild RN PhD, President & CEO December 28, 2002 iTelehealth Inc., based in Frederick MD, is in receipt of a $750,000 award from the NIH National Institutes of Mental Health for development of a Suicide-Prevention website Web site. iTelehealth Inc. has a track record in developing leading edge applications in the arenas of telehealth and the Internet. Dr Mark Goldblatt, Suicidologist and Psychiatrist, and Associate Professor at Harvard University, reports that suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the US, and the fastest-rising cause of death among teens and the elderly. The need for tailored information and resources targeted at those consumers and healthcare professionals who may come in contact with suicidal persons is real and greatly needed. Dr. Loretta Schlachta-Fairchild, President & CEO comments “While there are plenty of Web sites that provide information, there is no way to distinguish “validated” information in this area. Our goal is to offer a world-class Web site that both consumers and professionals will view as the landmark site for Suicide Prevention content and resources. In addition, a key feature of the website now under construction is tailoring of information to the user. Dr. Victoria Elfrink, Lead Clinical Developer and Senior Associate of iTelehealth Inc. states “we believe the use of a ‘one size fits all’ approach is where other web sites have failed. People need targeted, directed information fast and at the time they require it. An advanced search and tailoring capability for the Web site will allow those persons who are interested in specific information to find it quickly and easily, using the power of technology to conduct a tailored search for them”. An example of how this might work: Parents grow increasingly concerned with their teenage son’s change in behavior. He has given away a prized CD collection, is quiet and withdrawn and talks about feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of school. The parents can go to the Web site and conduct a guided search via a series of prompts that provide information specifically on: the level of suicide risk for their son; what to do with that information, and how to find, resources in their area, including healthcare providers in their locale who could help further. Dr Marion Ball, an international Informatics expert, states that the development of a sophisticated, customized web site is key to the delivery of an NIH-class web site offering. Dr. Ball is providing expert consultation for the initiative. Those who have lost someone to suicide know the sadness and grief of this experience. iTelehealth Inc. is committed to spreading the following message worldwide: Suicide can be prevented by building an awareness and a vigilance of those around you. If the Suicide Prevention Web site can contribute to safeguarding the lives of those in our nation, we will have done our job and done it well.
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