Telehealth, where technology meets healthcare

September 26, 2024

Health

Telehealth, where technology meets healthcare

Telehealth is defined as the use of digital and telecommunication technology to facilitate the delivery of health and related services, such as medical care, provider and patient education, health information services, and self-care. Technologies used in telehealth include remote patient monitoring (RPM), live video conferencing, “store and forward” electronic transmission, and mobile health apps. More medical professionals are now able to “see” patients via computers and smartphones. Telehealth makes it possible for patients to obtain the appropriate care at the appropriate time and location by making doctors and experts more accessible.

A decade ago, just 35% of hospitals in the United States used telehealth to connect healthcare professionals and patients remotely; today, 76% of the hospitals do so. The greatest change in healthcare in the recent past was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which also highlighted the advantages of telehealth.

Telehealth and telemedicine

The terms telehealth and telemedicine are often used interchangeably, but telemedicine is really a subset of telehealth. Whereas telehealth is a broad term that includes all health services provided using telecommunications technology, while telemedicine refers specifically to clinical services.

Positive impact of telehealth

Convenience and comfort

When you are unwell, telehealth eliminates the need for you to drive to the doctor’s office or clinic, walk, or wait in the waiting area. You may see your doctor from the comfort of your own bed and sofa. It may be simpler to accommodate virtual visits into your hectic schedule. Depending on your schedule, telehealth may even eliminate the need for you to schedule child care or take time off from work.

Decrease financial strain

Patients had to factor in extra costs like tolls, gas, parking, and petrol anytime they had to attend in-office medical appointments. Now patients can avoid these expenditures.

Prevention of infectious diseases

Physicians can use telehealth sessions to prescreen patients for potential infectious diseases to stop the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and other infectious diseases. Additionally, it eliminates the need for sick people to visit the clinic. Everyone benefits from reduced exposure to other people’s germs, but those who are elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant, or chronically sick benefit most.

Better evaluation

Certain specialty practitioners may benefit from telehealth because it allows them to see you in your home setting. For instance, allergists might be able to spot environmental cues that trigger allergies in you.

Mental health assessment

Many mental health patients may hesitate to go to a clinic due to various reasons such as stigma, cost, and lack of access, but here also telehealth is a good way to get mental health assessment and counselling.

Better continuity of service and more follow-up visits

It is easier to schedule follow-up appointments when telehealth services are available. Rather than needing to travel between locations or call patients back to the clinic, providers can more easily check in with patients remotely to discuss, say, the findings of the laboratory test.

Offers various services

Checking test results, requesting prescription refills, messaging your doctor, and making an appointment using an online portal. Receiving notifications by text or email when routine immunizations and screenings such as mammography and colonoscopies are due.

Remote patient monitoring (RPM)

Remote patient monitoring is the process of using wearables, mobile devices, smartphone apps, and internet-enabled PCs to report, collect, transmit, and evaluate patient health data. RPM technologies notify patients when it’s time to weigh themselves and send the results to their doctors. Vital sign data, such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiration rate, are being collected and transmitted through wearables and other electronic monitoring devices.

Negative impact of telehealth

While telehealth provides an easy and affordable means of seeing a doctor without leaving your house, there are several drawbacks as well.

Not all types of visits can be completed virtually. You still need to visit the clinic for procedures like blood testing and imaging tests and for diagnoses that call for a more hands-on approach.
A major concern is the security of electronically transmitted personal health data.
Not very popular among elderly patients because they are uncomfortable with technology.
Required stable internet connection, so less accessibility in rural areas.
Required technical training and equipment.

How Patients Feel About Telehealth

In the United States, 74% of patients would use telehealth to receive medical care.
Approximately 74% of patients feel more at ease utilizing technology to communicate with their doctors than visiting them in person.
Approximately 76% of patients care more about access to healthcare than the need for human interactions with their healthcare providers.1
Approximately 67% of patients reported that their satisfaction with medical care is either somewhat or greatly increased when they use telemedicine.
Approximately 30% of people already check their diagnostic or medical information on computers or mobile devices.
95% of patients expressed high levels of satisfaction with the standard of care they received, the convenience and timeliness of their care, and the ease with which telehealth technology was incorporated into their visit.

The financial benefits of telemedicine

Employers in the United States could save as much as $6 billion annually if they offer telemedicine technologies to their staff

Assuming that the average cost of a commercial telehealth consultation is $50, patients might save an average of $126 per visit compared to conventional healthcare settings.2