Running head: Informatics Paper Part 1
Informatics Paper Part 1
Liberty University
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Informatics Paper Part 1
Informatics Paper Part 1
For the purpose of this paper, my health organization is interested in developing a
telehealth program to connect with a rural community in an effort to close the health gap
associated with the rural area. Telehealth is a type of healthcare that is provided to patients
through the use of telecommunication such as the radio, television and internet (including
social media sites, video chats, online messaging, and more) (Nelson & Staggers, 2018).
Telehealth is a growing type of healthcare that is becoming increasingly prevalent around the
world as new technologies are making communication easier than ever. Telehealth includes
services such as communication, education, triage, diagnosis, disease management, monitoring,
caregiver support, provider consultations, research, administration, and management (Nelson &
Staggers, 2018). Telehealth is important to healthcare today because it allows health
information, education, and services to be available to a wider net of people. This might include
individuals who are unable to travel, need a specialty health consult, or those who live in a rural
community.
Needs Assessment
One of the things that rural communities often lack are community partnerships,
particularly with larger, more established organizations. Partnerships can help support the
health of the rural community, support vulnerable and at-risk families, and stimulate new
research and knowledge (Van Gelderen, Krumwiede, Krumwiede, & Fenske, 2018).
Communication
Another important need that has been recognized by the Centers of Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) includes improving societal health outcomes. Rural communities are often left
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Informatics Paper Part 1
with limited resources to care for their residents due to the small population of people that may
need medical care. The fact is, limited resources means limited care. In some rural areas, there
may only be one hospital. The next closest one may be an hour or more away. When people in
this area become sick or hurt, they are often left with little hope of getting to a larger hospital
with more resources (both physical supplies and knowledgeable healthcare workers) to care for
them in time.
Framework/Theory
Informatics
References
Farmer, J., Davis, H., Blackberry, I., & de Cotta, T. (2018). Assessing the value of rural
community health services. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 24(3), 221–226.
https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1071/PY17125
Nelson, R., & Staggers, N. (2018). Health informatics: An interprofessional approach (2nd ed.).
St. Louis: Mosby.
Van Gelderen, S. A., Krumwiede, K. A., Krumwiede, N. K., & Fenske, C. (2018). Trialing the
Community-Based Collaborative Action Research Framework: Supporting Rural Health
Through a Community Health Needs Assessment. Health Promotion Practice, 19(5),
673–683. https://doi-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/10.1177/1524839917754043
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