ANSWER
Telehealth has changed the way that patients receive treatment by giving them more access to care. Nonetheless, telemedicine raises significant ethical questions especially for nurses. Two major ethical concerns nurses giving virtual care could run across are below:
1. Patient Autonomy andinformed Consent
A basic ethical tenet of healthcare is informed consent, which guarantees that patients grasp the nature, hazards, and rewards of the treatment they are getting. Ensuring patients completely understand how telehealth operates, what information is being gathered, and how their data will be utilised becomes a more difficult task in the framework of telehealth.
Telehealth is sometimes offered remotely, which can restrict the nurse’s capacity to make sure patients really grasp the process of treatment. Nurses have to ensure sure patients are aware of the technology being used, the restrictions of telehealth (such as the impossibility to conduct physical exams or instantaneous treatments), and the possible hazards to privacy and confidentiality. Nurses should also make sure patients may freely consent to telehealth services without feeling pressured or coerced; this will help to address issues where patients might not completely comprehend their alternatives.
Nurses should have open, understandable talks with patients about the telemedicine procedure, provide the chance for enquiries, and have clear, express permission to start telehealth consultations in order to handle this ethical issue.
2. Equity and Healthcare Access
Ethical Concern:
Equity and access to care present still another ethical issue. Telehealth makes the assumption that patients can participate in virtual healthcare having the required technological knowledge, internet connection, and tools. Some patients, meantime, could find it difficult to take advantage of telehealth due to financial restraints, low digital literacy, or lack of internet connection.
Nurses have an ethical obligation to treat all patients fairly, thereby making sure none of them are deprived of their right treatment. In telehealth, however, older persons, especially in rural locations, or in economically underprivileged groups, could have different access. These differences could result in unequal healthcare delivery, which begs issues about justice and fairness.
Nurses should aggressively evaluate if patients have the tools required for telehealth and, if so, assist to close access gaps in order to handle this ethical challenge. This could entail supporting better access to digital materials or presenting other choices, such phone consultations. Nurses should also be alert in spotting patients who might be excluded from telehealth services and try to offer remedies guaranteeing fair access to treatment.
In the framework of telehealth, both of these problems—ensuring informed permission and supporting fair access—are crucial for nurses to keep high standards of ethical treatment. Nurses have to be proactive in tackling these issues to safeguard patient rights and guarantee accessible, excellent treatment.
QUESTION identify and discuss at least two potential ethical issues that could be of concern for nurses with telehealth-delivered care?