TAP INTO NEW WAYS OF WORKING

摘要

Technology not only benefits the health of patients and improves their quality of life, but also has the potential to make nurses' working lives better too.Telehealth and telecare (see box) can significantly increase the time nurses spend with patients. An evaluation of the impact of these remarkable technologies carried out by the Nuffield Trust showed a 15 per cent reduction in emergency department visits and a 20 per cent reduction in emergency admissions when the technology was used correctly. The Department of Health's '3millionlives' campaign states that of the 15 million people living with long-term health conditions in the UK, three million could benefit from telehealth in the next five years. However, some nurses I meet have never heard of telehealth.