Technology is stepping up its game for a long time. It never fails to surprise us with the ease it’s bringing in our lives. One such convenience caused by technology is that of Telemedicine. Telemedicine is basically, use of telecommunication and information technology for medical assistance. It is revolutionizing medicine for not just us, the patients but also the doctors, nurses etc. It has various benefits through which it is making our lives easier. They are:
Accessibility
Its greatest advantage is that it’s accessible to anyone and everyone who has a smartphone. Telemedicine has, fortunately, bridged the geographical gaps between the patients as well as the doctors. For patients residing in rural areas, thanks to telemedicine, have access to surgeons like never before, whereas, for doctors, they now can reach out to a greater mass beyond their clinics and the hospitals.
Greater Satisfaction
Telemedicine has resulted in greater patient as well as healthcare provider’s satisfaction. The approach is rather patient-centered which gives them more control, resulting in greater patient engagement. Moreover, with top Telemedicine companies coming out with new and improved apps each day, patients are exposed to a greater variety of healthcare providers, giving them more choice.
On the other hand, telemedicine also provides greater satisfaction to doctors as well. This is so because of the ease of meeting patients. Healthcare providers do not have to spend long hours at the hospital to treat patients, they can even do so in the comfort of their own house which has helped them balance their work and family lives fairly well.
Affordability
First things that pops up in every American’s head when they hear of medical care are the hefty bills and insurance procedures. TeleMedicine helps in slashing those bills down. Since neither the patient nor the doctor has to travel to meet or carry out a procedure making the transportation expensive close to none. With that, remote analysis, monitoring services and electronic data storage significantly reduce healthcare service costs, saving money for not just you but also your doctors and even insurance companies.
On the bright side, it increases the revenue for Doctors as now they have a wider range of patients to treat and might even reduce their work hours. They can, through Telemedicine, have flexible, work from home hours.
Better Quality
Telemedicine is providing greater quality to the patients. Since this approach is fairly patient-centered, it has improved the timeliness of care. With that, it has given patients the liberty to address their healthcare issues swiftly and learn about the treatment options in minutes.
Studies have shown that patients who are going through anxiety, depression and stress are less likely to get admitted in hospitals as of Telemedicine.
Increased Patient Engagement
Tele medicine allows patients to be much more involved in the process. Since they are more committed to their health goals, it results in much more positive results like that of lower costs and improved health. With that, engaging the patients help in making sure the schedules is strictly being followed. Virtual visits via Telemedicine reassure patients that their doctors are much more interested and involved in their wellbeing, helping them reach out to them with their concerns, early warning signs and even making follow-up appointments to make sure they’re on the right track.
Studies have shown that increased engagement initiatives help with reducing obesity rates and unhealthy habits like that of smoking etc. as doctors are in a position where they can encourage their patients’ to make healthy lifestyle choices.
With virtues come vices. Telemedicine is indeed making our lives easier but it is also diminishing the conventional face to face consultations which in some cases are necessary. Not just that, physicians, practice managers and other medical staff need to be trained for the new system which initially will cost a fortune. Moreover, some apps connect to patients with a different consultant each time which results in the issue of the newer doctor not having the records of the past consultations the patient has had. This is a critical issue and can even affect the treatment patient receives. In addition to that, healthcare laws, reimbursement policies, and privacy protection rules struggle to keep up with this fast-growing industry. It is imperative that proper research is carried out before you get started with Tele medicine as a patient or even as a healthcare provider.
