English for Nurses: Telemedicine

Part 1: Vocabulary: telemedicine

• disruptive technology
• file management
• health app
• medical history
• to monitor
• remote
• to streamline
• substitute
• telemedicine
• video conference
• win-win
• workflow

Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings

1. ___________ : the use of technology to deliver clinical care at a distance
2. ___________ : result that is good for everyone who is involved
3. ___________ : watch a situation carefully for a period of time to discover something about it
4. ___________ : refers to an activity that is done away from the place where it usually happens, especially by means of technology
5. ___________ : improve the effectiveness of a process by making it easier to perform an activity
6. ___________ : new technology that completely changes the ways things are done
7. ___________ : setting up of a single place to store and update a patient’s health information
8. ___________ : record of a person’s health information including past illnesses and operations or treatments
9. ___________ : way a particular type of work is organised, e.g. the stages of a work
10. ___________ : piece of software designed to assist in the organisation of healthcare for a person, e.g. making appointments, providing information
11. ___________ : meeting at which two or more people who are in different places can talk to and see each other using electronic technology
12. ___________ : use of something or someone in place of another thing or person

Part 2: Reading

Read the abstract from Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications here. Complete the abstract using terms from the vocabulary list.

Regular hospital visits can be expensive, particularly in rural areas, due to travel costs. In the era of the Covid-19 Pandemic, where physical interaction becomes risky, people prefer (1) ___________. Fortunately, medical visits can be reduced when telemedicine services are used through (2) ___________ or other virtual technologies. Thus, telemedicine saves both the patient's and the health care provider time and the cost of the treatment. Furthermore, due to its fast and advantageous characteristics, it can  (3) ___________ the workflow of hospitals and clinics.

This (4) ___________ would make it easier to (5) ___________ discharged patients and manage their recovery. As a result, it is sufficient to state that telemedicine can create a (6) ___________ situation. This paper aims to explore the significant capabilities, features with treatment (7) ___________, and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine in Healthcare.

The paper identifies seventeen significant applications of telemedicine in Healthcare. Telemedicine is described as a medical practitioner who diagnoses and treats patients in a (8) ___________ area. Using (9) ___________ for scheduled follow-up visits makes doctors and patients more effective and improves the probability of follow-up, reducing missing appointments and optimising patient outcomes.

Patients should have an accurate (10) ___________ and show the doctor any prominent rashes, bruises, or other signs that need attention through the excellent quality audio-video system. Further, practitioners need (11) ___________ and a payment gateway system.

Telemedicine technologies allow patients and doctors both to review the treatment process. However, this technology supplements physical consultation and is in no way a (12) ___________ for a physical consultation. Today this technology is a safe choice for patients who cannot go to the doctor or sit at home, especially during a pandemic.

Part 3: Listening

Watch the video below and complete the notes

Onco’vilhop….

•  uses ONCO’net (___________ monitoring program)
•  coordinates homecare and human ___________
• for patients with cancers with poor prognosis
• connects patients with their ___________ team (hospital, community team, home hospitalisation staff)
• sends regular questionnaires to ___________ physiological changes and emotional needs
• beneficial for patients: patient­­­­­­­­­ ___________ over their care and___________ for immediate concerns (prompt treatment)
• beneficial for caregivers: early ___________ of complications, reduced ___________ visits and hospital stays
• poor prognosis cancers: low survival rates beyond five years after ___________
• program focus:___________ management and end-of-life support