The Arizona Telemedicine Program Blog

In May 2017, the University of Arizona College of Nursing launched a telehealth training program for students seeking advanced degrees as doctors of nursing practice. 

The "Using 21st Century Technology for NP Student-Patient Interview and Interprofessional Care Coordination" project, initially funded with a Graduate Nursing Education Grant of $26,000 from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was developed by UA nursing professors Rene Love, PhD, DNP; Jane Carrington, PhD, RN. It was, and apparently still is, the first and only telehealth education program designed for student nurses pursuing doctor of nursing practice degrees, despite the fact that more than half of U.S. hospitals have telemedicine programs, and their numbers continue to grow. 

Over the last eight years, the Arizona Telemedicine Program (ATP) and its subsidiary, the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC) have generated and hosted 100 webinars, covering a wide range of current health topics presented by subject matter experts that have reached thousands of interested viewers. 

We produced our 100th webinar, "How to Get the 'Tele' in Telegenetics," on May 2^nd, one week ago today.

Telemedicine, which enables health professionals to provide treatment to patients remotely, is especially useful in rural areas, where people are distanced from healthcare facilities. It can also play a considerable role during natural disasters when professionals cannot reach affected areas or must operate outside of traditional medical settings.

But because of the nature of the platform — and the technology used — telemedicine is susceptible to outside attacks, particularly cyberattacks. Communication and digital exchanges are often done via the open internet. A patient will have a live video chat with a health professional via a mobile app, for instance. That feed and any data from the exchange is vulnerable to snooping or outright theft, especially if one of the parties is using an unsecured network connection.

Living with a mental illness can be isolating and difficult. The long-standing stigma connected with mental illness, along with limited treatment accessibility, patients’ fear of the potential repercussions of family, friends, and employers finding out about their condition, have kept many individuals from seeking the support they need. Fortunately, these trends are starting to shift in a more positive direction.

Although some stigma and shame still surround such illnesses as depression, anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder, people are beginning to feel more comfortable about sharing their own struggles and finding support from others online. Telehealth and an interconnected world are coming together to end stigma, and help people manage their mental health in a more effective way.

Phase One: Using Simulation Labs to Teach Future Telehealth Providers

For 15 years, I was a home hospice nurse who went out on emergency nighttime visits to patients who were experiencing symptoms that terrified their family. The travel distance added to the anxiety and suffering of family and patients. I always thought that just because a family chooses to live in a rural area, they should not have to accept suffering as “the price they have to pay.”

Since then, I have focused on enabling the provision of healthcare services to patients who choose to live in the beauty of a rural environment.  Using telehealth technology to rapidly view, assess and improve a patient’s situation has been foremost in my program of research.

 I know I do not have to describe the explosion of telehealth during the last 15 years to readers of this blog. In my telehealth experience, I have gone from home hospice organizations, thinking that I was suggesting a cold and unfeeling method of providing end-of-life care, to a Global University interest in me sharing my telehealth expertise as an international Fulbright Specialist.