Telehealth services are drastically transforming the healthcare industry. Providing people instant connection with the doctors anytime, from anywhere, telehealth improves access to patient care. The prevailing broken healthcare system essentially needs such innovation. Telemedicine is focusing on better health results by improving access to care, affordable costs, and providing early interventions.
Since the pandemic has turned life upside down, healthcare has seen a significant rise in telehealth. The appetite for better healthcare options that offer a safe and convenient method of getting care has increased and telehealth has bags all the credit for the same. Whether healthcare organizations are comfortable or reluctant, the era of virtual care has arrived, with telehealth spearheading the change. And undoubtedly telehealth is here to stay.
Key challenges in telehealth and virtual care
The major challenges in the adoption of telehealth services were basically the geographic limitations and were the starting site of care. There was a restriction from the CMS for the medicare reimbursement to telehealth services that matched one of the below-mentioned criteria:
- A site that is located particularly in a rural health professional shortage area
- The telehealth program is a part of any federal telemedicine project
- The patient who is treated is located in an authorized facility like a hospital.
Reasons how telehealth is bringing metaphorical change in the healthcare industry.
The adoption curve for telehealth is quite clear. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak life has undergone a drastic change, including the importance of telehealth’s position in healthcare delivery. For those who were working from home, traveling was completely stopped, schools & public events came to a temporary halt.
1. Telehealth and accessibility to doctors
One of the key aspects of the healthcare system is that you can not see a new primary care doctor for at least a week. It is due to doctor shortages. Due to the problem of doctor shortages, the waiting period to see a doctor is growing longer. Generally, people do not have a regular doctor, their first visit to the primary care physician is delayed further every year. As per recent research, the average wait for a new patient scheduling an appointment with a family care doctor in 2-tier cities has leveled up by 50% over the past years and now averages 29 days. In some cities, the wait time is even longer.
The right approach towards the issue is addressing the issue by implementing telehealth services. Telehealth assists employees and their family members deliver 24×7 treatment for non-emergency illnesses as well as injuries. The patients can feel better through virtual consultations and can start feeling better much sooner. In case the illness is severe and needs more extensive care, telemedicine helps patients with easy access to specialty care. Many hospitals connect with patients via telehealth services.
2. Telehealth impacts on healthcare costs
Healthcare costs are at their peak these days due to many reasons. One of those reasons is that patients often visit expensive facilities, like the emergency room without major reason. The average cost of treatment in non-emergency conditions like bronchitis, cough, cold, sore throat, and the flu is more in the ER than in primary care settings.
Implementing telemedicine services for patients can get the right level of care at affordable costs. At midnight, parents may find it hard to assess the exact reason why the child is crying – whether he needs immediate doctor treatment or can be handled at home. When parents choose to visit the emergency room, they ensure the well-being of their child, but they end up with high medical expenses.
Telemedicine services change such tricky decision-making scenarios. Instead of hurrying to an ER, patients like disturbed parents can visit with a virtual doctor any time for quick, convenient advice and treatment. In case still, the ER is necessary, the virtual doctor will prescribe them. The virtual consultations help parents and ensure their child receives the right care and mental peace. For those who are dealing with heavy healthcare costs, round-the-clock telemedicine means employees and their families can avoid those expensive hospital visits that are not necessary.
3. Telemedicine for monitoring patient
Modern technologies have made it possible to monitor patient’s health conditions remotely who are suffering or recovering from different types of illnesses. These remote monitoring devices can acquire health data like blood pressure, oxygen levels, and heart rate, notifying patients and caregivers when something might be wrong.
The recommended approach is to identify the initial warnings that are valuable if they result in any prompt action. By using telemedicine, healthcare providers can remotely monitor patient data to identify the potential problems faced by the patients. They can then quickly get in touch with the patients for a virtual consultation and recommend immediate treatment or medicines.
Undoubtedly, primary intervention leads to personalized care and significant savings. By preventing patients from growing sicker or experiencing a catastrophic event, the early predictions enhance patient health and reduce the expensive treatment costs.
Telehealth on the rise
Considering how telehealth is rapidly deepening the roots of adoption across the globe due to the pandemic. Coronavirus is affecting the traditional methods of healthcare delivery. Hence, it is now being used much more widely to screen and diagnose patients without risking exposure to the virus. According to a Global Research survey, the adoption of telehealth has increased three-fold by the use of live video sessions with patients. The maximum number of patients reported improved care and recovery.
The need for social distancing measures is impacting the way hospitals and medical practices handle incoming patients. Even the healthcare providers who previously did not offer any telehealth services are now coming out of their comfort zone to implement the technology in some form.
The future roadmap: putting telehealth into action
Ģoing forward all the healthcare institutions and hospitals that prioritize more on healthcare systems with a patient-centered approach to care need an effective strategy to communicate with their patients. They are no longer reluctant and have begun to deploy healthcare data platforms that can support secure and real-time virtual visits to reach more patients, treat them quickly, and improve care coordination. Also, virtual visits have the potential of saving up important resources during the COVID 19 pandemic. Ramping up telehealth adoption in a planned manner can make a significant contribution to screening, testing, and treatment efforts against coronavirus. Even for patients that have medical conditions not related to the pandemic, virtual care makes it possible to deliver care remotely, without bringing the risk of virus exposure on either side into the equation.
About Net Health
Net Health’s mission is to harness data for human health. We offer EHR software and predictive, actionable analytics for medical specialties, including rehab therapy, wound care, home health and hospice, and employee health and occupational medicine. Net Health solutions are trusted in over 23,000 facilities across the continuum of care. Our EHR software enables caregivers and their organizations to engage effectively with patients, streamline.
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