What are the advantages of Telemedicine?

Telemedicine is an advanced medical service that enables audio-video phone appointments between patients and practitioners to make healthcare convenient. Modern-world people respond well to such technologies that bring convenience to their life. A rise in digital medical appointments is undoubtedly exceptional, and search results for the best telehealth appointment are overwhelming on the internet.

“Health organizations are providing virtual appointments and are expanding their telehealth options, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Brain Hasselfeld, M.D. An Assistant medical director for digital health at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Telemedicine offers a way of providing medical care remotely. Furthermore,  it offers a variety of advantages for both patients and medical practitioners.

Benefits to patients

Telemedicine means virtual visits to your healthcare provider. While this service has some limitations, which we’ll get into later, it offers manifold benefits, some of which are as below:

1. Easy access to specialists

Only some are fortunate to get a friendly doctor who is always up to answer their concerns over a phone call. A not-so-new trend in the medical industry makes it feasible to get a telehealth appointment with a specialist. Many hospitals offer round-the-clock telemedicine services without the need for an appointment. So, in case of non-alarming minor emergencies, people can dial the hospital’s number even at late hours and talk to any medical health provider. 

2. Lower cost

In-person doctor visits are always much more expensive than virtual visits since they involve transportation, charged parking, and other costs apart from OPD charges. Telemedicine reduces such costs and aids hassle-free and affordable care.

3. Medical access for people without health insurance

People who do not have an adequate insurance plan can find visiting a doctor too heavy on their pocket. Telemedicine also falls under all primary insurances and still facilitates uninsured individuals with cash-pay services.

4. Medical access for people in rural areas

Country-living people enjoy all the benefits of better health care, but people living in rural areas are less fortunate to have easy access to these blessings. For people living far from the city, timely access to medical facilities isn’t always possible. Telemedicine supports them by offering a way to visit a doctor quickly.  This service also aids in situations when driving is optimal, such as during a sandstorm or snowstorm.

5. Reduced exposure to the pathogen

Prolonged waiting outside the doctor’s office and sitting next to other patients may sometimes become a cause of the spread of contagious diseases. Telehealth encourages people to get care while being home. Thus, it reduces the risk of exposure to viruses such as COVID, flu, and other viral infections. Telehealth also helps protect the healthcare provider continue providing care to infected patients without being in physical contact with them.

6. Middle-of-the-night care for babies 

Babies often get sick and their fever suddenly spikes in the middle of the night. Rather, to rely on an internet search result, parents can leverage the benefit of telemedicine to quickly connect with a doctor.

7. support for people with chronic conditions

Telehealth helps people with chronic conditions to keep connected with their doctors so they can detect new or worsening symptoms earlier. Many hospitals practicing telemedicine provide AT-home monitoring tools that transmit signals to hospital devices. It can help patients to get timely medical care to avoid life-threatening situations.

8. Online psychiatric support

While COVID has made the life of many people miserable in many other ways, it gives a troll on people battling with mental health. Going out to get or continue therapies for depression, anxiety and stress becomes risky for people as they may catch up with Coronavirus.

Telemedicine benefits people to continue their mental health sessions virtually.

9. Emergency Psychiatric care

Psychiatric patients who are at extreme risk of even harming themselves can immediately connect with a therapist to calm down the situation. 

Benefits to healthcare providers

Healthcare providers also leverage several  benefits from telemedicine services, including:

Reduced overhead expenses: 

Telehealth aid healthcare providers reduced their overhead expenses. They can cut off the cost of an assistant nurse or midwife. They can also work in a small space with or without exam rooms.

Additional revenue stream:

Telemedicine supplements additional income streams to practitioners. It allows them to treat more patients in less time. Moreover, a doctor can provide telehealth on weekends and their days off.

Less exposure to illness and infections:

During COVID-19, doctors provide remote healthcare to affected patients. It safeguards healthcare providers from exposure to any pathogens a patient may carry.

Patient satisfaction: 

A patient is happier when he gets healthcare without a prolonged wait outside the doctor’s office. 

What kinds of medical concerns work best for telemedicine?

Any type of medical health provider including specialists, psychiatric, or general physicians,  can provide telemedicine services to their patients. A doctor can continue the ongoing treatment plan and even make a diagnosis of a new disease over telemedicine.  Doctors often use telemedicine to keep following up on their patient’s care. 

 Telemedicine can best use by these medical professionals:

  1. Psychiatric
  2. General medicine practitioner
  3. Dermatologist
  4. Oncologist
  5. Cardiologist

 

Disadvantages for patients

limited insurance options:

Since telemedicine is relatively a new addition to medical services, therefore, not all insurance companies cover telemedicine services. However, with the growing adoption of telemedicine laws and rules are constantly being upgraded in favor of telemedicine.

At-risk data security:

Hospitals make sure to add multiple layers of security protocols to patients’ medical data. However, the risk of data being hacked is certainly there.

Delayed care:

Telemedicine poses uncertain delays in the way of medical care. In case of emergency, access to telemedicine can be difficult with poor internet connectivity, apart from other limitations.

Disadvantages for care providers

Drawbacks of telemedicine for doctors may include;

Licensing issues:

Often, doctors have a license to practice within the state. State laws may vary, limiting a practitioner to provide care across state lines.

Technological concerns:

Technological issues like weak internet connection and not up-dated telephonic devices can be troublesome for doctors in providing care. Choosing a secure platform that is encrypted and abides by privacy laws can be challenging.

An inability to examine patients:

Providers have to rely on patients’ self-examine reports during a telemedicine visit. This can be so challenging for doctors to diagnose a problem. Sometimes by looking at a patient, doctors get a clue and start questioning, which helps them detect all symptoms and proper diagnosis.

Summary;

Access to healthcare has never been easier, but with telemedicine, reasonable care with fewer complications is now possible. Telemedicine has brought convenience to people who can’t go out to seek medical help. It aids doctors to keep monitoring the elderly and bed-ridden people while they are at home. 

Telemedicine is a blessing for chronic patients and even, for babies because these people are more prone to catching the virus and contagious diseases.

Remote care offers prompt medical care, eliminating the risk of worsening symptoms or conditions. However,  the technology must meet the needs of audio-visual compliance under current regulations and industry standards. Telemed service in royal oak Michigan, and every other country has gained rapid popularity among people. During COVID-19 telemedicine is the need of the time which helps to minimize the outspread of this contagious disease.

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