Health promotion and disease prevention

Health promotion and disease prevention

Population of interest

The population of interest is the African-Americans. The reason for interest in this population is due to the increased risk of developing hypertension at a relatively younger age than any other known ethnic group. Therefore, this population needs close attention and preventive measures that can help in preventing the disease among them as early as possible. People living in remote areas will again be of priority due to difficulty in seeking care as compared to other population groups. Another factor that will be considered is the socioeconomic background of the population of interest, people with low socioeconomic status will of interest; generally, people who have been identified to live below  1$. The population of interest is at increased risk of developing hypertension and other related complications that claim the lives every year.  Hypertension is a disease that needs preventive and health promotion measures at an early stage rather than actual treatment. Due to the multiple drug therapy needed for its treatment, hypertension has always been one of the most difficult disease to manage. That is why our focus is on prevention and health promotion aimed at reducing the risk associated with the disease.

Impact of telehealth in the management of hypertension

Telemedicine is one of the best milestones that health care has achieved since its introduction about 40 years ago. The benefits realized by the adoption of mobile apps in managing hypertensive patients have been reported to satisfy both the caregiver and patients. Through the use of mobile apps, numerous benefits have been realized which include:

Time-saving

Telehealth uses the patient’s mobile phone to provide a connection between the patient and the health facility. A patient is assigned a clinician who is responsible for responding to the patient promptly whenever the need arises. One of the best methods of telehealth that can be adopted by hypertensive patients is the “FLO” telehealth system. In this system, a patient needs simple training on self-monitoring techniques which include how to operate a sphygmomanometer and report the readings via text messages. The patient can take readings and send feedback to the facility via mobile messaging hence reduces the number of face-face appointments. Patients who have tight schedules in their places of work or home-based patients find the Florence telehealth system convenient (McKoy, Fitzner, Margetts, Heckinger, Specker, Roth and Moss, 2015).

Better patient outcome

The adoption of telehealth by hypertensive patients is one of empowering the patients. Taking their own responsibility is one way of ensuring that the patient pays attention to the information they receive from physicians. Health care has a better outcome if patients are allowed to take full responsibility in self-monitoring. The patient can take readings from the sphygmomanometer and provide feedback to physicians. The information is interpreted by a physician and develop medical diagnosis which determines the plan of action appropriate for the patients. Sometimes people are convinced that the use of telemedicine in the management of remote patients may lower the quality of healthcare, evidence-based practice has ascertained the quality provided via telehealth to hypertensive patients remains high as the one given by in-person medical consultation. Telehealth allows for ease of communication between the patient and the doctors that can prompt action before a complication develops. Hypertension is associated with complications that if acted upon rapidly, then the patient may complicate to crisis and eventually death. The system also offers a good base for long term monitoring of hypertensive patients. The chronicity of the disease necessitates for long term tracking and monitoring, an approach that can be best provided by telehealth (Jenkins,  MacLeod, Campbell, Yip, Legare and Hassan, 2018).

PICOT statement for the case study

Does the use of telehealth improve health outcomes in hypertensive patients compared to the traditional face-face in-patient consultations?

Plan of care for hypertensive patients

The plan of care will incorporate the use of telehealth in managing hypertensive patients of African-Americans with low socioeconomic statuses.

Nursing diagnoses

Activity intolerance related to elevated blood pressure as evidenced by increased heart rate after performing daily activities.

Goal: The patient will use the desired techniques that promote activity tolerance.

Intervention

Encourage the patient to engage in self-care practices and if possible, they should participate in activities gradually, starting with light exercises. Patient to report via messaging the vitals before and after light exercises for physician to plan for interventions.

Knowledge deficit related to self-management and operation of the sphygmomanometer and mobile apps as evidenced by patients submitting wrong readings.

Goal: The patient will record and interpret the vitals correctly and submit to the physician via mobile messaging within one day.

Intervention

Engage the patient in operating the telehealth application and let them practice appropriately with the mobile. Show the patient how to operate the sphygmomanometer as well as how to record the readings. Tell the patient to report any signs of complications such as blurred vision by pressing the emergency option on the telehealth application.

References

Jenkins, D., MacLeod, J., Campbell, T., Yip, A., Legare, J., & Hassan, A. (2018). the impact of a comprehensive telehealth home monitoring and telephone follow-up program on 30-day rates of adverse events following cardiac surgery. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 34(10), S18.

McKoy, J., Fitzner, K., Margetts, M., Heckinger, E., Specker, J., Roth, L., … & Moss, G. (2015). Are telehealth technologies for hypertension care and self-management effective or simply risky and costly?. Population health management, 18(3), 192-202.