How many times have you heard someone say that the Internet has changed modern life? It must be unlimited, and it is true. Indeed, the Internet has changed the way people search for information or live their lives, and the change is not limited. The Internet has also changed the medical field and how people stay connected with their caregivers.
Previously, visiting the doctor in person was mandatory; however, the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to connect with doctors over the Internet. Telehealth helps people access medical facilities from specific or renowned institutions from far away and boosts overall convenience.
If you are not very aware of it, you might be surprised by its name. Read this blog to learn more about telehealth and its key benefits.
Let’s start!
What Is Telehealth?
Before going deeper and discussing the advantages of telehealth, it is essential to dive into the definition first. Telehealth is the process of delivering care or health-related advice through telecommunication technologies and electronic information. The electronic medium can be a tablet or a smartphone.
Telehealth often involves remote monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, and other measurements. The patient wore these instruments and provided the caregiver with all the data for the correct assessment. The medicines prescribed in these sessions are known as telemedicine.
Since 2019, telehealth has revolutionized the medical field. It is reducing the gap between caregivers and patients, contributing to the overall health sector and reducing the number of deaths.
Who Can Benefit from Telehealth?
Almost every patient can benefit from telehealth. Whether your doctor is not in town for some reason or you have an extremely tight schedule, telehealth can save you in any condition. The highest beneficiaries of telehealth are fragile or physically challenged patients, as they don’t need to travel. It is adding significant convenience to their lives.
Here is a list of people who get the benefits of virtual care-
- People with mobility issues and limited motion
- Individuals who take care of fragile people or children or have a tight schedule
- Rural residents with limited access to top-quality medical facilities
- People who identify as non-binary or transgender
- Patients with language issues
- Individuals in need of specialists (like dermatologists or cardiologists). However, their area does not have one
Telehealth is popular among patients seeking an expert opinion on their issues but failing to reach them due to various problems. For example, if you are struggling with weight and need specialist advice but don’t have time to go to the clinic, you can book telehealth services like weight management tips for busy professionals. It will help you get the best assistance without investing time or hassles.
Key-benefits of Telehealth
Often, people ask, ‘What is the benefit of telehealth’? Depending on the situation, doctors ask patients to come to the clinic. Moreover, it is not convenient for all kinds of patients. Many patients need direct assistance for better diagnosis and medication.
Well, let us inform you that there is a queue of benefits of telehealth in healthcare. For example, if you live in a rural area with few medical facilities and you fall sick, what will you do?
With telehealth, you can connect with the doctor and get assistance. After that, you can access the doctor in person for tests or other queries. Here is a list of pros of telehealth-
1. Prevent Infectious Illness
COVID-19 introduced telehealth facilities into mainstream treatment. The only reason was to prevent the spread of the infectious Coronavirus. Doctors widely use this to prevent the spread of flu and other contagious diseases.
Doctors pre-screen the patient, suggesting some medicines and asking them to come to the clinic once they are better. Hence, if you ever come across the question, “What is the key benefit of telehealth?” The answer is that it protects other patients and society.
2. Better Management of Chronic Conditions
Chronic diseases like diabetes and heart or kidney disorders can get worse at any time. At this time, a patient needs urgent attention from an expert. As a patient’s family or a patient by yourself, you can connect with the doctor and get temporary relief.
Patients often connect with their doctors (who are taking care of them and have a disease history) during this kind of emergency. As they have an idea about their issues, it is easier for them to assist and provide relief.
3. Boots Life Convenience
How can we miss the convenience part while answering what is the key benefit of telehealth? Maybe it is one of the most attractive benefits.
With telehealth, you don’t need to wait hours on the clinic sofa or sit in a waiting room when you’re sick. You can meet the doctor while sitting at your comfortable place, and once you feel good, you can visit the doctor directly. Additionally, it is easier for people who have fragile people, a tight schedule, or a baby at home.
4. Cost Effectiveness for Patients
What is the key benefit of telehealth? One big plus is its cost-effectiveness for patients or their families. The patient does not need to travel to the clinic and does not need time off from work.
Additionally, the caregiver does not require a well-established setup in this infrastructure, and they can lower their charges. Although it seems a trifle, these savings bounce back to patients, making healthcare lighter on bank accounts.
5. Accurate Assessment
Whenever the topic of telehealth comes up, some people raise questions about its accuracy level. Well, in some cases, it is just the opposite. The virtual meeting boosts the accuracy of the assessment because the doctor witnesses the home environment and determines the reason for the disease.
For example, if you are suffering from breathing issues, it can be due to the unhealthy condition of your house or a specific plant in your garden. Through the virtual medium, the caregiver examines your home environment closely and suggests the best. Many times, it helps to recover without medicine.
Telehealth is a boon for the medical industry and one of the very few advantages of COVID-19. It helps patients to access the finest doctors in the world without traveling or other hassles. Thus, it can be stated that it is helping mankind and ensuring better healthcare for all.
5 Benefits of Telehealth for Patients
According to a Rock Health report published in February 2023, four out of five patients have used telehealth facilities at least once. The report also stated that the number of patients is increasing every day. You might be surprised by this rising number and wonder, what is the key benefit of telehealth that is fueling this popularity? It is the convenience and lifesaving skills of telehealth.
With telehealth, patients do not need to wait days to visit the doctor and endure the pain. They can connect with a doctor at any time and get their solutions. Well, that is just the tip of the iceberg; here are the top 5 telehealth benefits for patients.
1. Virtual Psychiatric Support
One of the most significant benefits of telehealth for patients is that it helps people with mental health issues survive. Do you know how? People with mental health issues face difficulties in making regular decisions or face sudden attacks (anxiety and panic attacks).
Previously, they were forced to handle these hardships alone, but now they can avail themselves of professional help with one click. It reduces their suffering and ensures faster recovery. At the same time, it is providing lifesaving aid to people experiencing mental health emergencies. It includes people who are at high risk of self-harm. They can quickly get in touch with the therapist, and it saves their lives.
2. Enhanced Patient Engagement
Telehealth offers patients better control over their medication. The patient portal allows them to access all their medical information and real-time data at any time.
From the portal, they can access information such as resources, instructional materials, test results, appointment timings, etc. This helps reduce the chances of missing documents and enhances engagement. Additionally, medical institutions use apps to remind patients about doctor appointments and boost engagement.
According to doctors, patient engagement largely controls the recovery rate. Better engagement builds trust in the process, ensures improved self-care and a proactive nature, and contributes to better outcomes and faster recovery.
3. Reduce Burn Out
Telehealth is reducing the burnout of patients and their families to a large extent. With this facility, the patients or their families do not need to take a day off from the office to meet the doctor or pay travel bills.
It is especially helpful for people with chronic issues or their families. Due to the lengthy treatment process, leaves and travel become heavy on them and cause a huge burnout. However, this is a painful past now. Patients can stay connected with doctors from any part of the world and come down to the clinic only during the treatment.
4. Provides Highest Privacy
The best answer to “What is the key benefit of telehealth?” might be its top-notch privacy. The telehealth platforms are designed to protect sensitive information and ensure the highest privacy of patients. High-tech platforms of telehealth and HIPAA regulations are helping with this.
This high-end security and privacy offer the patients a sense of security and peace. It ensures that they open up about their underlying issues without any hesitation. It especially helps psychiatric patients share their hidden traumas. Naturally, it reduces mistakes in diagnosis and helps the medicos provide the best.
5. Ensure Continuity of Care
Telehealth has introduced convenience in healthcare. Now, patients can meet the doctor while sitting at home or in the office. This results in a higher continuity of care or treatment. Patients are showing interest in follow-ups, which is resulting in better health.
Previously, patients often refused to visit the doctor for follow-ups once they felt a bit better. They did it to save office leaves, the hassle of traveling, and lack of time. According to doctors, this habit prevents getting fully cured and leaves room for the germs in the body.
The importance of telehealth can be stated as bridging the gap between patient and doctor. It has enhanced accessibility and convenience. It is helping everyone stay connected with caregivers and ensuring better health for all.
5 Benefits of Telehealth for Healthcare Providers
Before COVID-19, doctors were habituated to help at specific places like medical offices, clinics, or hospitals. However, all thanks to the pandemic, it taught the medicos how to provide care online.
Undoubtedly, it was difficult initially, and almost every doctor struggled with it, but now it is also common and extremely popular among providers. They suggest patients book online sessions to reduce the pressure in the clinic and make it easier for everyone. Well, that is not all; there is a list of benefits of telehealth for providers, and some of them are-
1. Helping in Expanding Care
Telehealth is helping doctors provide care to people who cannot access public transport or live in remote areas. It is helping them expand their patient base and reach out to more people in need.
Apart from the humanitarian angle, the diverse patient base is helping the doctors gain more practical experience and boost their knowledge. It is serving the whole industry well.
2. Reducing Stress
Telehealth is helping to reduce stress and burnout among physicians. Doctors have successfully reduced the number of in-person visits and administrative tasks, such as charting and documentation.
Naturally, doctors are more involved in patient care, resulting in better outcomes and faster recovery. This approach is also helping caregivers maintain their work-life balance and improve their mental health.
3. Boosting Finances
Telehealth is not only cost-effective for patients; it is also helping doctors boost their finances significantly. Due to remote treatment, caregivers can now save on expenses such as rent, utilities, and supplies.
Additionally, as telehealth is entirely based on technology and patient convenience, it has reduced the number of no-show appointments. It results in better time management, a smooth consultation, and no-loss revenue.
4. High-quality Care
Telehealth is helping caregivers provide high-quality treatment because they can provide more personalized care. Moreover, better time management, lack of travel hassle, and better work-life balance are helping doctors concentrate and offer the best.
At the same time, telehealth is helping caregivers monitor patients more closely, provide real-time feedback, and adjust treatment plans. It ensures better outcomes and faster recovery.
5. Building Relationships
Telehealth allows doctors to have close, one-on-one chats with patients without any distractions. The patient can access the doctor anytime, and as long as they are both comfortable, they can interact peacefully.
Through telehealth, patients also receive real-time data and regular monitoring. These factors ensure higher patient satisfaction and the building of a lifetime relationship.
Challenges and Solutions of Telehealth Services
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth rose to prominence. Almost 80% of the appointments during this time were telehealth, which helped to continue the emergency during the tough time.
However, like every decision in life, telehealth also comes with challenges. From technological barriers to regulatory issues, the facility is battling many things. In this section, we will focus on the challenges and suggest potential solutions to enhance user convenience.
1. Technological Barrier
One of the significant challenges of telehealth is the technological barrier. A patient and doctor need reliable internet connections and appropriate devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers to book an online consultation. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have access to these, and many areas do not have stable internet connections. This can disrupt the whole procedure.
Solution:
To address this challenge, the healthcare provider must explore other ways of communication. For example, the caregiver can host the consultation over the telephone. They can also connect with community organizations to help those people in need.
2. Lack of Information
While offering online consultation, many patients often ask, ‘Telehealth, what is it’? This means they have no idea about telehealth or its benefits. On the other hand, data shows that some patients still believe that telehealth is not as effective as in-person visits. In a nutshell, there is a significant lack of information in the market, which is limiting the growth of the overall healthcare sector.
Solution:
Doctors and other community organizations need to come forward to increase awareness. They can use social media to inform patients of telehealth benefits and encourage them to opt for this. Doctors can also invite benefitted patients to share their experiences and journeys to make it more effective.
3. Complexity of Licensing
In America, doctors need licenses from the specific state in which they are providing care, and each state has unique license requirements and regulations. Getting these licenses can be expensive and complex, creating a massive barrier to the telehealth system.
Solution:
To combat it, caregivers must be aware of the geographical barriers and careful about the laws. Meanwhile, they need to try to get as many licenses as they can. This will help them reach the maximum number of people and reduce the barrier.
4. Lack of Medical History
Although telehealth has shown great results for most patients, it has failed extensively for some patients. According to the researcher, this is mostly due to less information regarding the patient’s medical history.
Solution:
To combat this issue, the doctor needs to ask the patient many questions to understand the issue in detail. Additionally, if a patient has any chronic health issues ask for previous health reports and do all the necessary tests again. It will help to make a correct diagnosis.
5. Risk of Privacy Breaching
The medical sector has always been vulnerable to data breaches due to the collection and transmission of sensitive data. Currently, the risk has doubled due to the intensive use of the Internet. The use of electronic health records (EHRs) and protected health information (PHI) is increasing the fear of data scams.
Solution:
To offer the highest data security, doctors and healthcare institutions must strictly follow HIPAA’s privacy and security regulations. Additionally, they must focus on using security measures such as data encryption and password protection and choose secure video conferencing platforms only.
Telehealth is empowering the future of the healthcare industry. While it has its unique disadvantages, those can be handled. If you are a doctor or any other caregiver, follow these solutions to offer a hassle-free healthcare facility.
Some Common Types of Telehealth Services
If someone asks, “What is the key benefit of telehealth?” The easiest answer is convenience. Telehealth not only helps patients connect with physicians from remote areas but also offers different service types. It enhances user freedom and adds another wing to convenience.
Although different varieties of telehealth exist in the market, four are major. These four types help patients meet their needs without any hassle and support the caregivers. The telehealth service types are-
1. Video Conference
Video conferencing is one of the most popular types of telehealth. It is a one-on-one video-based conference between the patient and the doctor. It is essential to mention that the use of telehealth in healthcare has started.
From practitioners in local hospitals to private practitioners, everyone is using it for follow-ups and treatment. It eliminates the necessity of commuting and makes things easier.
2. Asynchronous Video
Asynchronous video is the electronic documentation of patient history used by a provider for further treatment. It occurs when a caregiver uses the patient data to consult with a specialist for the best opinions. It is mostly used in regions where citizens do not often get specialists.
3. Remote Patient Monitoring
One of the best uses of telemedicine is remote patient monitoring. In this, the patient’s health data gets sent to the caregivers through an electrical medium for monitoring. It is most prevalent in regions where senior people live. It helps to keep an eye on their well-being and save lives.
4. Mobile Applications
The introduction of mobile applications has taken telehealth to another level. Patients can input their vitals through smartphones and tablets, and doctors can check to prescribe medicines.
These apps provide medicines and health tips to stay fit. For example, entering your blood sugar level will suggest your water intake limit and other guidelines.
Telehealth: Shaping the Healthcare for Better and Forever
Initially, there was a debate regarding ‘how can telehealth be beneficial to healthcare’ because many people thought it would be irrelevant after the pandemic. In the current scenario, the necessity of telehealth is increasing, and it will grow more with time.
Telehealth is reducing the gap between patients and the finest healthcare. Now, anyone can access top doctors or other caregivers worldwide. It also reduces healthcare expenses and the work stress of care providers.
Thus, when someone asks what the key benefit of telehealth is. It is hard to reply in one word or line. It is a whole chapter in itself.
To enjoy the benefits of telehealth, you can connect with One Health Medical Group. They are the leading telehealth service provider in Hackensack,NJ. To cater to the maximum number of people, they offer a wide range of services, such as comprehensive primary care, wellness care, genetic testing, specialized care, and so on.
Book your appointment with One Health now to get the best assistance while sitting at home.