Improving primary care through an innovative academic-practice partnership including baccalaureate nursing student-based telehealth competencies

3^rd International Conference on Ehealth Networking, Application And Services

September 18-19, 2023 | Webinar

Lorena Paul

Johns Hopkins University ,USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Health Med Informat

Abstract :

Statement of Statement of the Problem: The SARSCoV2 pandemic lockdown limited in-person access to primary care for many underserved community members in a South Texas metropolitan area. A Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) expeditiously reengineered the provision of client care services to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. Innovative solutions included call center expansion and curbside care to address acute health care needs. At this same time, a Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN) program was struggling to provide community health clinical experiences for senior level students. The two entities mutually developed innovative telehealth outreach campaigns to address population health, safety, and wellness promotion needs. The purpose of this curriculum enhancement presentation is to describe the academic-practice partners’ journey and lessons learned throughout the telehealth outreach campaign design, implementation, and evaluation phases. Methodology & Theoretical Construct: The Plan-Do-Study-Act method was applied to collaboratively and progressively develop the telehealth outreach campaigns and the BSN program’s curriculum. Foundational structures and processes aligned with the CDC’s Social-Ecological Framework with consideration for population health, safety, and wellness promotion needs. Results: Community-based nurse preceptors, BSN faculty and students effectively assessed and addressed clients’ primary health care needs and increased access to primary care services. Students’ academic gains included collaborating primary care services, communicating with clients without visual cues, and applying clinical decision support tools such as dashboards, evidence-based protocols, and conversation scripts to promote consistent and high-quality care and client satisfaction. Conclusion & Significance: The primary care telehealth outreach campaigns positively contributed to FQHC clients’ health, wellness, and self-care management. The current and future nurse workforce must be prepared to increase community access to primary care by innovative methods. Recommendations include future studies, interprofessional telehealth learning simulations, and additional telehealth campaigns to enhance primary care capacities that serve socially disparate populations.

Biography :

Lorena Paul share expertise in planning, implementing, and evaluating collaborative initiatives aligned with strategic U.S. government priorities to develop the future nursing workforce across the health care spectrum and to improve the health and wellness of medically underserved populations by preparing current and future nurses to practice in community-based health care settings to the full extent of licensure. Grant-awarded projects include Partners in Care RNs for Tomorrow funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA 18-012) and academic-practice partner’s Telehealth Outreach Center (HRSA 18-032) both of which enhanced the capacity and quality of a Federally Qualified Health Center’s primary health care teams by incorporating nurse case management and nurseled telehealth campaigns.