Ethical Issues in Telehealth-Delivered Care for Nurses

 Question
identify and discuss at least two potential ethical issues that could be of concern for nurses with telehealth-delivered care?
Answer
1. Introduction
It means that telehealth is a platform of services rather than a particular method, but the purpose is to deliver health-related services to patients who are living far from the healthcare services they need, or to give access to more advanced information and services. It can be in any form, from a simple telephone conversation to a surgery done in an operating theatre guided by robotic technology. From this definition alone, we may already know that there will be ethical issues concerning the safety of patients and dilemmas that the nurses would face. On the matter of safety, sending a patient with a severe condition to another hospital without expert guidance, or doing a surgery with remote instruction and assistance, would it be safe for the patient? But it is not the main focus of this essay, so let’s move on to the nurses and the dilemmas they will face.
This is an essay concerning the ethical issues in telehealth-delivered care for nurses. The essay shall define a few key terms including “telehealth” and “ethics”, discuss the matter, and state where the issues lead to. Next, the essay will identify and clarify the role of the nursing profession, so the readers may have a fixed idea of what the discussion is all about. Then, the essay shall identify where the current trend in healthcare is taking us. Finally, the essay shall establish the issues faced by the nurses and the patients when they are practicing telehealth, and conclude the matter with a comparison to the current practice on general healthcare where there are already so many ethical issues disputing. Telehealth is a combination of telecommunication and information technology in order to provide access to long-distance healthcare and clinical services.
1.1. Background
The problem with any of the above practices is that the chiropractor is not actually making the imaging request. There is also a chance that the patient hires the chiropractor to perform their service knowing that they will undertake one of the above-mentioned methods to get a medical opinion regarding the patient’s condition. Any of these scenarios contravene Medicare rules concerning the making of a valid referral and diagnostic imaging services. Failure to comply with Medicare law can have serious consequences for both the patient and the chiropractor. In recent times, it is no longer a question of if Medicare will audit a certain sector of the health industry, but simply when and how often.
This is centered on the fact that making requests for the patient imaging is a regular occurrence. Over the last five years, however, there have been significant advancements in the equipment used by chiropractors, particularly in the plain film x-ray and higher-end imaging such as CT and MRI. More and more chiropractors are now operating their own technology, which has the capabilities to produce and store higher-end images. Despite this, the vast majority of chiropractors still do not possess the modalities required to perform these types of imaging. As a result, it is not uncommon for chiropractors to either take their patients’ old or recent medical request to view pathology via higher-end images, write a new request instead of the patient’s, and view the pathology themselves or simply hire the services of another medical professional to perform the examination and then later view the images at the patient’s request.
1.2. Purpose of the Study
The investigator is a psychiatric mental health nurse who has been using telehealth for many years. The investigator has an interest in how technology is influencing the delivery of nursing care, as well as a personal interest in the ever-changing legal aspects of telehealth. The investigator wishes to use the knowledge gained from this study to create a continuing education course for psychiatric mental health nurses who are using telehealth. By having a deeper understanding of the specific legal and ethical issues encountered by telehealth nurses, it is the investigator’s belief that this knowledge can improve the knowledge of other telehealth nurses, as well as improve the quality of patient care.
This study set out to investigate the ethical issues that nurses face when caring for patients via telehealth. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many patients to receive medical care in their homes, either through phone, computer, or videoconference. Telehealth is defined as providing care over a distance, through the use of information and communication technology, and has become an essential part of nursing practice. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing says that telehealth is a mode of delivering nursing care, which focuses on the use of the nursing process in making nursing diagnoses and in intervening in preventing or treating patient responses to actual or potential health problems. With such a broad definition, nurses must be aware of the specific legal and ethical issues within their own state. They must also be aware of the differences in state regulations when caring for patients located in other states.
2. Ethical Issues in Telehealth-Delivered Care
2.1. Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns
2.1.1. Unauthorized Access to Patient Information
2.1.2. Data Breaches and Security Risks
2.1.3. Inadequate Protection of Patient Privacy
2.2. Lack of Physical Assessment
2.2.1. Difficulty in Accurate Diagnosis
2.2.2. Limited Ability to Detect Non-Verbal Cues
2.2.3. Potential for Misdiagnosis
2.3. Ethical Dilemmas in Decision-Making
2.3.1. Balancing Autonomy and Paternalism
2.3.2. Ensuring Informed Consent in Remote Settings
2.3.3. Managing Conflicts of Interest
3. Legal and Professional Responsibilities
3.1. Compliance with Telehealth Regulations
3.1.1. Licensing and Jurisdiction Issues
3.1.2. Adhering to Telehealth Standards and Guidelines
3.1.3. Maintaining Proper Documentation and Recordkeeping
3.2. Professional Boundaries and Dual Relationships
3.2.1. Maintaining Objectivity and Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
3.2.2. Establishing Boundaries with Patients in Virtual Settings
3.2.3. Ethical Use of Technology in Nurse-Patient Interactions
4. Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks
4.1. Utilitarianism and Telehealth
4.1.1. Weighing Benefits and Harms for the Patient and Society
4.1.2. Balancing Resource Allocation and Patient Needs
4.1.3. Considering Telehealth’s Impact on Health Equity
4.2. Deontology and Telehealth
4.2.1. Upholding Moral Duties and Principles in Remote Care
4.2.2. Respecting Patient Autonomy and Informed Consent
4.2.3. Addressing Telehealth’s Challenges with Confidentiality
5. Conclusion
5.1. Summary of Ethical Issues in Telehealth-Delivered Care
5.2. Implications for Nursing Practice and Education
5.3. Recommendations for Ethical Telehealth Implementation