Learning Objectives
This blog post presents an overview of both the benefits and potential drawbacks of telehealth, providing a foundational understanding of its components. By engaging with this content, you will have an opportunity to explore the following elements. Telehealth can:
- Enhance your access to online resources, including virtual consultations, informative blog posts, and references to relevant literature;
- Utilise technology to optimise health, thereby reducing travel and accommodation costs, as well as minimising the time and expenses associated with in-person visits and follow-ups; and,
- Explore some of the challenges related to telehealth, particularly concerning privacy issues, and reasonable measures that can be implemented to manage data and information in a digital context.
Topics Covered
This posting explores various contexts in which Telehealth is utilised, encompassing the following topics:
- Telehealth and five straightforward steps to a healthy lifestyle;
- Enhancing a healthy lifestyle;
- Exploring inspiring destinations;
- Identifying some benefits of telehealth;
- Examining certain disadvantages of telehealth;
- Human Rights: privacy, data erasure, and expressions, and,
- Promoting healthy connections.
Telehealth Defined
Telehealth is defined in multiple ways, encompassing psychological, sociological, educational, and ecological dimensions. This model utilises various forms of communication, including audio, chat, media, video, and telephone. Consequently, people can initiate telehealth sessions from remote locations, such as lake country or secluded highlands, provided they have access to the necessary technology.
Upon reaching out to us, you typically engage in a preliminary consultation through our contact form or a phone call aimed at improving your overall wellness. For example, media could be applied in telehealth to engender an emotionally safe place, helping you to become calm in the face of adversity. Eventually, telehealth may support you to live a healthy and productive life, even if you have felt overwhelmed in the past.
Telehealth and Five Simple Steps in a Healthy Life
Telehealth can be a computer-facilitated-communication method to enhance your abilities, expertise, and assets to transform challenges in life. You may augment this approach by remembering to:
- Laugh often;
- Take time for rest and recreation, enhancing your energy and libido;
- Set aside time for regular exercise, and reduce pain;
- Experience the joy of movement to improve muscular-skeletal and cardio health, and
- Take slow, deliberate breaths, let go of the stress and take time to be in nature.
Optimising A Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle is widely desired. By doing so, you can minimise the chances of developing heart problems, diabetes, stroke, and various other health conditions. Moreover, getting plenty of fresh air, sleep, exercise, and balanced eating can improve your health. Limiting stress from negatively impacting your life is imperative for long-term health.
Telehealth and Visiting Inspiring Destinations
You can either by being physically present or accessing the Internet, witness awe-inspiring destinations across the planet.
Taking Time to Relax
Eventually, if you do not take time out to relax, chronic distress takes a toll. For example, heightened stress contributes to deteriorating health, including increased muscle pain, headaches, and high blood pressure. Your restorative efforts can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. At times, you can enhance your efforts by seeking support from loved ones, friends, and other people.
The Advent of Telehealth
Telehealth is a popular approach and you can access help from your home or another environment of your choice or necessity (Society for Human Resource Development, 2020; Theobald & Brazelton, 2020). Principles of telehealth are applied, for instance, in electronic text messages, email, chat, phone, and video conferencing.
Telehealth serves as a valuable tool for connecting with you, particularly if you are facing challenges in your daily life. While it offers numerous advantages, telehealth also has certain limitations, such as ensuring privacy and the ability to request the deletion of your information and data.
Blending Digital Data
To offer you services counsellors may combine digital data, information, and communication technologies to disseminate health and support information over distances (Kraetschemer, et al., 2009; Lee & Harada, 2012). These technologies could include video and audio that are extended over limited or vast territories and at different times. Check out Artificial Intelligence and Counselling for more information.
What are Some Telehealth Benefits?
If you live in residential care facilities, telehealth may be the exclusive means of communication available, allowing for video calls, audio-only conversations, and video interactions. Swinburne University of Technology (2024) has designed a program to support seniors, including in residential facilities to access telehealth services. This health model is offered to assist seniors (Manos, 2019).
Explore information regarding The Aging Process.
Recognising The Sanctity of Human Life
Telehealth can help people who identify as being from sexual minorities (Atkinson, 2024). All human life including from the “cradle to the grave” is important and dignity needs to be respected and valued.
Telehealth is a means to assist people to rewrite their life scripts, and to meaningfully engage with others. It provides a creative space for healing interpersonal conversations.
What are Certain Telehealth Disadvantages?
Telehealth’s limitation includes a lack of in-person communication. People experiencing suicidal ideation should contact crisis services. You may struggle with being able to afford technology and could benefit from assistance in traversing the digital divide (Galvin, et al., Kraetschemer, et al., 2009; Theobold & Brazelton, 2020). To read about the divide see ONM and ODR – From Conflict to Management.
Technology provides a range of both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (delayed) services. However, there is still a discernable gap in how you engage with and understand these tools. You may find it challenging to interact with computers for various reasons. For instance, you may experience a lack of digital literacy and be unfamiliar with emergent technology.
The Digital Divide
The phenomenon of the digital divide may manifest when individuals encounter restricted access to technology and possess insufficient technological skills (Galvin et al., 2024). Telehealth services are also susceptible to biases and monopolistic practices that reduce the options available for service delivery.
Some common challenges include:
- Complex interfaces: Software and systems are often created with technical users in mind, making them unintuitive or overwhelming for novices;
- Lack of digital literacy: You may not be familiar with fundamental ideas behind how computers work, or the various ways you can interact with technology; and,
- Rapid pace of change: Emergent technologies are common, and keeping up with regular updates or new platforms can be tantamount to doing full-time work in itself.
Human Rights: Privacy, Data Erasure, and Expressions
Telehealth: The General Data Protection (GDPR) Regulation 15.
The right to privacy, including the right to have your data erased is essential. Europeans are safeguarded under The General Data Protection (GDPR) Regulation 15. Article 17 of the GDPR stated,
“The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay and the controller shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay”.
Who is a Data Controller?
A data controller can be defined as an individual or entity that oversees the management of information and data, which encompasses the processing of requests for data deletion (Dockeray & Westbrook, 2018). The controller is a person, organisation, or entity that is frequently obligated by the purposes underlying the exchange of information and data. This role is essential for ensuring the secure and responsible handling of data, while also preventing its use for purposes that deviate from the original intent of its collection, including any public disclosures. Certain exceptions exist regarding data protection; for instance, if you wish to maintain your connection to an organisation, there is a cogent reason for retaining the data.
The Data Controller’s Roles
The data controller’s duties involve safeguarding information and data through thorough documentation and risk management, while also taking into account the business value of the material, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, access protocols, security measures, and the protection of personal information (Public Service Commission, 2020).
Telehealth: Exploring the Boundaries of Your Rights
Regardless of whether you fall under the protections of Regulation 15, it is possible to explore the boundaries of your right to be forgotten (Proton, 2024a-b; Berzin, 2016). In the United States, both state and federal courts recognised a formal right to be forgotten (Gajda, 2018). You could submit a request to the controlling person or organisation and keep a record of this action.
Facilitating Reflective Aptitudes
Furthermore, there may also be a lack of reflective ability required to understand the consequences of neglecting fundamental rights, including privacy. Unfortunately, numerous organisations may gather and sell your personal information, frequently without your consent, and may establish connections that are either nonexistent or outdated. You possess a theoretical right to privacy, alongside a right to freedom of expression. Privacy constitutes a fundamental civil liberty, and it is often discussed in the context of Human Rights.
In summary, you have the option to request the removal of your data and information, for instance, to eliminate any misleading information. However, it is unfortunate that your data and information may be retained, and it can require significant effort to have it released.
Telehealth: Extending Helping Hands
You may through telehealth be able to access support services in rural and remote areas. People who, for example, experience anxiety, stress, and depression can benefit from telehealth (Society for Human Resource Management, 2020).
Accessing Telehealth Sessions
You could require assistance with operational technology to access telehealth. A family member, friend, or designated support person can be assigned to help you prepare for the session.
Holding Your Telehealth Sessions
If you share your living space with others, is there a specific area you can allocate for telehealth sessions? It would be beneficial to display a visible sign outside the room indicating that sessions are currently taking place.
People may also be appointed to co-manage the computer systems, facilitating your connection with family, friends, and professional helpers. They could serve as guides, with specific roles to support you and others in accessing assistance.
Reflecting on Unique People and Situations
Individuals are unique, and the same approach that works for one person might not work for another. Whether it is in fashion, strategies, or advice, there is seldom a one-size-fits-all solution. Emotions can fluctuate with life events, for example, transitioning into a new role, experiencing loss, or encountering conflict.
Seeking Out Help From Family, Friends, and Formal Services
With support from family and friends you can safely navigate through turbulent waters. Different environments, such as educational, vocational, or personal exploration, may call for guidance from counsellors and more informal support systems like family and friends.
Guidance is needed not just in moments of challenge, but also in moments of growth. Customised support can provide tools, validation, and perspectives that help you make sense of your experiences, learn new skills, and develop emotional resilience.
Deriving Health Benefits
You can derive benefits from synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (delayed) communication methods, allowing for connection at nearly any time. This observation does not underestimate the value of other options such as in-person counselling. Telehealth services supplement alternate delivery sessions and may encourage you to seek in-person help.
All in all, telehealth contexts and frameworks broaden and build places for you to access help. The rights to access health services, privacy and data erasure could call for you and your family and friends to be creative and innovative to address strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in your situation.
Overall, the development of telehealth applications is ongoing, with various healing strategies being devised. Different facets of life appear to present both benefits and drawbacks. Awareness of these factors may equip people with the necessary preparedness. Telehealth could serve as a valuable avenue for accessing a variety of health services; however, there might be negative consequences if privacy rights are not acknowledged or upheld.
In Closing
The context of telehealth was covered in this post, highlighting the following key points:
Telehealth and Five Fundamental Steps for a Healthy Lifestyle:
Telehealth serves to promote a healthy lifestyle by integrating simple practices enhancing overall well-being.
Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle:
Telehealth facilitates informed lifestyle decisions, for example, by balancing physical activity and cognitive health strategies, often providing easy access to counsellors and various resources.
Discovering Motivating Destinations:
Engaging in travel or exploring new settings, including via telehealth platforms, can yield both physical and cognitive benefits.
The Growth of Telehealth:
The swift integration of telehealth has notably changed the landscape of healthcare accessibility.
What Are Telehealth’s Advantages and Disadvantages:
Telehealth generally offers several benefits, including convenience, lower healthcare expenses, and the capability to access medical care from nearly any location using a mobile device or computer. However, it also presents challenges related to privacy rights, the management of data deletion, and expressions.
How to contact us.
References
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Dockeray, J. & Westbrook, N. (2018, Jun 2). Are You Ready for GDPR. The Estates Gazette, 56-58.
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Gajda, J. (2018). Privacy, Press and the Right to be Forgotten in the United States. Washington Law Review.
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https://www.healthdatamanagement.com/articles/older-adults-want-telehealth-and-ma-is-poised-to-expand-its-use
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Proton (2024a). The General Data Protection Regulation 15.
https://gdpr.eu/article-17-right-to-be-forgotten/
Proton (2024b). What is GDPR, the EU Protection Law?
https://gdpr.eu/what-is-gdpr/
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https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/publications/roles-responsibilities-with-respect-data-at-the-psc.html
Society for Human Resource Management (2020, April 28). During the Pandemic, Telehealth Steps Up: Most people say they’re more likely to use telehealth services in the future.
https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/pandemic-telehealth-steps
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https://www.swinburne.edu.au/research/centres-groups-clinics/wellbeing-clinic/
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