The usage of digital information and communication technologies such as mobile devices and computers to access health care services remotely and manage your health care is called telehealth.
This service provides you the opportunity to consult the doctor without paying a personal visit to their clinic. Also, the doctor will assist you with your health issues thus providing supportive health care services to improve the body condition.
It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.Â
Advantages of telehealth
Research has found that telehealth services work effectively, even for some serious medical conditions.
Based on a meta-analysis and systematic review of the use of telehealth states that treating chronic heart failure through this service has shown good results. Besides, it aids in reducing the admission rates, minimal hospital stays, and decrease in deaths.
Hereafter, the section below provides some of the possible benefits of using telehealth. It has been divided into two parts – benefits for patients and benefits for healthcare providers.
Benefits for patients
Telehealth services can aid to treat various medical conditions. It will be more effective if a person seeks care from a qualified physician and states details about their symptoms. Some other benefits of telemedicine include:
- Reduction in costs – People who use telehealth services are likely to spend less time in the hospital, which results in cost savings. Besides, there is no long commuting time, which means there is a reduction in other secondary expenses including childcare and gas.
- Better access to care – The service of telehealth makes it easier for the disabled to access care. Besides, it also improves access for other populations such as older adults, geographically isolated people, and those who are incarcerated.
- Convenient – Telehealth services have allowed people to access care in their comfort zone with privacy in their home. This eventually means that an individual is free to take access care of without taking any time off of work or childcare arrangement.
- Reduction in the spread of infection – Visiting a doctor in his office means getting in contact with other patients. This might lead to the spread of infections, which is quite dangerous for people with underlying conditions or weak immune systems. Therefore, telehealth helps to omit the risk of getting infected.
Benefits for healthcare providers
There are certain benefits of telehealth services for Healthcare providers, including:
- Decreased overhead expenses – people who provide telehealth services may incur some overhead costs. For instance, they can pay less for the front desk support or can reduce their investment with an office space containing fewer examining rooms.
- Less exposure to illness and infections – As the healthcare providers examine the patients remotely, there is low exposure to any infections that the patient carries.
- Patient satisfaction – As the patient gets rid of the traveling duration along with the waiting to access care, they might be happier with their provider. Besides, this aids them to easily communicate with the healthcare provider without getting harassed due to traveling.
Conclusion
Telehealth services make it possible to access a wide range of care options such as physical therapy, primary care consultations, psychotherapy, and some emergency services as well.
