Nursing and telehealth: Opportunities for nurse leaders to shape the future

There is considerable evidence that telehealth interventions can decrease the cost of patient care while maintaining or improving both the quality of care and patient satisfaction. Additionally, used appropriately, telehealth has been shown to increase the productivity of nurses, increase nurse satisfaction, and improve access to care for patients. Yet many nursing leaders have limited knowledge of current telehealth modes, programs, or outcomes. As issues of cost, shortages of nurses, and inadequate patient access continue to press, telehealth must be among the approaches the nurse leader considers as she works to construct viable current and future health care options.