Page 537 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

504 n TELENuRSINg/TELEpRACTICE

difficult to assess the overall effect of tele- health outcomes. However, across all of the
health on clinical outcomes of care resulting studies, a persistent theme emerges: the

T in mixed findings and some unanswered telehealth innovations that work the best are

questions (Bensink, Hailey, & Wootton, 2006; those that complement the existing nursing
Dansky, Vasey, & Bowles, 2008; DelliFraine & approaches. Importantly then, this finding
Dansky, 2008). calls for an end to isolated telehealth appli-
Research examining telehealth in sup- cation evaluation and an initiation of more
port of clinical nursing is still maturing. With studies in which the telehealth innovation is
some projects, say Brennan’s ComputerLink examined as a component of, not apart from,
work (Brennan, Moore, & Smyth, 1991), the the nursing intervention (Barnason et al.,
acceptance of telehealth for clinical nursing 2009; Kleinpell & Avitall, 2007; Moore &
was realized only in the last decade (Heisler, primm, 2007).
2007, 2009; Mohr, Vella, Hart, Heckman, &
Simon, 2008; Nahm et al., 2008; Sorensen, Josette Jones
Rivett, & Fortuin, 2008; Zolfo, Lynen,
Dierckx, & Colebunders, 2006). This rela-
tively slow growth is a consequence both
of the state of telehealth applications and Telenursing/TelepracTice
the expectations of nurses regarding the
nature of appropriate interventions. The
World Wide Web is now several decades old Telenursing is defined as the use of telecom-
and the penetration of information technol- munication technology to provide nursing
ogy into daily life, although accelerating, services to clients at a distance. Telenursing,
has yet to touch the lives of more than 80% a subset of telehealth (see Telehealth), com-
of the American public. Additionally, the bines information technology to support and
nursing discipline initially concentrated its expand professional nursing practice from
professional and scientific attention on face- its traditional borders by removing time
to-face encounters with patients (Dansky, and distance barriers to nursing care (Jones,
Yant, Jenkins, & Dellasega, 2003; Darkins, 2001). Telenursing is an expanding part of
Fisk, garner, & Wootton, 1996; gardner health care mainly used to assess care needs,
et al., 2001; Johnson-Mekota et al., 2001; provide advice, support and information,
Wakefield, Flanagan, & pringle Specht, 2001; and recommend and coordinate health care
Whitten, Cook, & Doolittle, 1998). Nursing resources (Holmström & Höglund, 2007).
is now moving toward embracing informa- Although typically associated with the
tion technology to support and expand the use of the telephone or facsimile, telenurs-
delivery of care (Heisler, 2007; Lillibridge & ing provides other potentials for the nurs-
Hanna, 2009; Rajasekaran et al., 2009; ing practice. A small but persuasive set
Sorensen et al., 2008). Investigations into of research projects (Beebe et al., 2008;
the use of telehealth for the delivery of pro- Ernesäter, Holmström, & Engström, 2009;
fessional nursing interventions (Brennan & Hagan, Morin, & Lepine, 2000; Hanson &
Ripich, 1994; Brennan, Moore, & Smyth, 1995; Clarke, 2000; Hanson, Tetley, & Shewan,
Brennan et al., 2001; Cady, Finkelstein, & 2000; Hayes, Duffey, Dunbar, Wages, &
Kelly, 2009; Fincher, Ward, Dawkins, Holbrook, 1998; Jerant, Azari, Martinez,
Magee, & Willson, 2009; Heyn Billipp, & Nesbitt, 2003; Johnson-Mekota et al.,
2001; Wakefield et al., 2008; Zimmerman & 2001; Kaminsky, Carlsson, Hoglund, &
Barnason, 2007) demonstrate the feasibil- Holmstrom, 2010; Schlachta-Fairchild,
ity of the approach and the potential for Elfrink, & Deickman, 2008; Whitten, Mair, &
not only social benefits but also improved Collins, 1997; Wootton et al., 1998) identified