Telehealth and Artificial Intelligence in Nursing

Nursing has been centered around a patient-nurse relationship for over a century. Throughout nursing school, nursing students learn about the power of human touch, being kind and compassionate, active listening, and building trusting relationships with their patients.

Now, as technology, telehealth, and artificial intelligence are becoming more of a staple in healthcare, nurses may have trouble finding out how nursing and technology can fit together. With the right information and mindset, nurses can combine their human caring with technology to give patients an even better experience.

Telehealth in Nursing

Telehealth in nursing offers a way for patients to reach their care providers from the comfort of their homes. For patients who do not have a means of transportation, are unable to leave their house, or feel uncomfortable in a crowded waiting room, telehealth appointments are a welcome change in the way that patients and providers interact.

Talking to a patient through a screen can be challenging for some nurses. Being unable to hold a patient's hand, pat them on the shoulder, or even give them a hug can feel like a barrier to many caregivers and patients. Fortunately, video calls allow face-to-face interactions, and bring back some of the nonverbal communication tools that are lost during a phone call.

In addition to convenience, telehealth offers a way for healthcare providers to ask questions and get advice from other caregivers. Many rural areas depend on telehealth providers to guide them in emergency situations or give them advice on rare patient conditions. Telehealth teams can often help emergency providers stabilize a patient while they wait for transport to a larger hospital with more resources.

Telehealth in nursing can also help healthcare organizations with staffing problems. Some large hospitals have telehealth nurses who work from home, monitoring vital signs and looking through charts of patients at risk of decompensation. Busy hospitals always appreciate having an extra set of eyes on their patients, and newer nurses appreciate having someone available to answer their questions when their charge nurse or other resources are busy.

Artificial Intelligence in Nursing

The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare has become somewhat controversial, but more and more healthcare organizations are finding ways to incorporate it into their systems. Artificial intelligence has been described by experts as the “ability of computers to simulate human behavior of understanding, reasoning, and thought processing”.

Many charting systems already have alerts set up, with the ability to notify a nurse of vital signs that fall outside of normal parameters or concerning trends in laboratory results. Artificial intelligence systems take this a step further. Some of these systems are able to compile all patient information to determine a baseline, notify the nurse of a concerning change for that particular patient, and search through journal articles and protocols to recommend a treatment plan.

Some nurses worry that these advancements in technology will make caregivers too reliant on artificial intelligence. They fear that nurses will stop learning or studying, will become complacent in their assessment skills, and fail to notice subtle changes in their patients without the computer telling them that they should be concerned.

Care providers must remain vigilant, and treat artificial intelligence as a backup safety system. Similarly to how most nurses already scan their medications, but still read the label and check the dose to ensure that their patients are kept safe.

Those who are excited about artificial intelligence in nursing see that it is another tool that can be added to a nurse’s care kit. Many hospitals, especially acute-care units, already depend heavily on technology. Tools such as continuous vital sign monitoring, mechanical circulatory devices, and quick laboratory results are used and trusted by nurses all over the world.

Other Technologies Impacting Nursing

Other emerging technologies have been embraced by nurses and other healthcare providers. While artificial intelligence and telehealth seem to be in the spotlight, there are many other fascinating technologies that have the potential to improve patient care and outcomes. These include:

Less Invasive Surgical Tools: Experts at Phillips are working hard to improve non-invasive surgical tools for surgeons and their patients. Being able to perform complex cardiac or neurosurgeries without opening the chest or skull has the potential to improve patient outcomes, shorten recovery costs, and decrease healthcare costs.

Wearable Robots: Patients with amputations of limbs or spinal cord injuries are being given opportunities to use prosthetic devices or even exoskeletons that are powered by technology. These “wearable robots” can respond much like a human limb, moving and flexing when specific nerve impulses are sent from the brain. While resources are currently limited and expensive, this technology brings hope to many patients in need of assistance.

Nanomedicine: Still in its early stages of development, nanomedicine has the potential to completely change diagnostic testing and delivery of medicine. Researchers and developers are hopeful that using nanomedicine can improve the delivery of dangerous medications like chemotherapy, diagnose genetic diseases early, and catch cancers before they spread and become difficult to treat.

Learn more about AI, telehealth and transformational technologies in our virtual guide. Download today.

Telehealth, AI, and Technology in Nursing

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