Telehealth Can Increase Nurse Workloads, Study Shows

A study published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research found that patients using at-home monitoring systems for blood glucose and blood pressure levels received almost twice as many "nursing activities" as patients who received usual care. 

In other words, relying on telehealth to manage Type 2 diabetes and hypertension could heighten nurse workloads. 

At the same time, researchers noted that the increased communication rates could result in better health outcomes for patients.  

"As a nurse, I am always thinking of new and innovative ways to use technology to help people manage their chronic conditions and live a more healthy, active lifestyle," said Chelsea Howland, a doctoral student at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, in a press statement.  

"As telehealth continues to become more popular, it can be used to get health behavior intervention tools to the people who need them most, but we also need to keep in mind the strain it puts on nurses that are going above and beyond to make this possible," continued Howland, the first author on the study.