Virtual care and telehealth services have become integral parts of healthcare systems; however, patients may not fully comprehend these services and their wider implications.
Patients often benefit from reduced days missed from work or school, reduced travel costs or time required, increased privacy, and lessened travel-related stress. Telehealth options present both healthcare providers and patients with unique advantages; this article will assist both groups in exploring these possibilities together.
Benefits
Telehealth and virtual healthcare services offer many advantages, including improved access, cost savings and convenience. Telemedicine enables individuals to receive medical advice without having to travel far; this service is especially advantageous for patients living in rural areas or those with physical disabilities who require regular doctor consultations.
Mobile applications are an integral component of telehealth, enabling users to schedule appointments and communicate with healthcare providers remotely. Furthermore, these apps can track symptoms and monitor chronic conditions remotely. Many work seamlessly with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems to document all telehealth encounters.
Virtual care can also increase patient engagement by decreasing appointment cancellations and no-shows. Virtual visits enable patients to provide feedback and answer any queries during a virtual visit while physicians engage in more meaningful dialogue with their patients while providing more pertinent information.
Limits
Telemedicine can bring many advantages, yet there are certain restrictions that need to be considered. Telemedicine cannot replace physical examination of a patient. Furthermore, its use could potentially lead to issues with overlapped care, unneeded prescriptions and fragmented care delivery.
Telemedicine can be complex to use; patients need access to a computer or smartphone and reliable internet connection in order to use this mode of care. Additionally, its implementation may be prohibitively expensive for some rural facilities and there may still be concerns that its implementation may lead to increased spending.
Technology advances and healthcare creativity are expanding the horizons of this modern technology. Now is the time for hospitals, medical groups and suppliers to incorporate it into their healthcare services; doing so will reduce travel for both doctors and patients while making appointments simpler and enhancing coordination between providers as well as enable those with limited mobility to obtain treatment faster – an opportunity presented by COVID-19 pandemic.
Risks
As healthcare industry embraces telemedicine, there are various risks that must be managed. Communication and record keeping may become increasingly online-centric which could raise security issues.
Misdiagnosis or treatment errors also pose risks; for instance, skin lesion appearance might differ in person from its appearance on camera; or an incorrect assumption could arise that someone with a high heart rate needs hospital admission.
Privacy risks in telehealth encounters have also been identified as a key concern:1 five studies reported this risk as being present when using this form of healthcare delivery:1.
Anxieties regarding overhearing include disruptions to living environments and lack of privacy space for vulnerable populations. Patients can help mitigate these risks by positioning their device away from other persons during a telehealth session and using headphones or private chat functions if available. Healthcare professionals should provide patients with education and tools about protecting their data during telehealth encounters as well as ensure the software and equipment used is up-to-date.
Resources
As healthcare transitions from fee-for-service to value-based care models, virtual health services will become an indispensable asset. Learn how you can incorporate them into your practice to optimize patient outcomes.
Virtual care refers to all digital interactions between patients and physicians, from using Telehealth for video consultations to setting up virtual Nurse Triage services when your office is closed. Virtual care also encompasses mobile telehealth apps which enable patients to monitor their own vital signs or conditions from any location at any time – an increasingly popular form of virtual care delivery.
Your clinic’s telehealth tools may depend on its individual needs and resources; some clinics offer virtual appointments as part of their regular care services, while others rely on third-party vendors who provide these services at a flat fee. Some communities may even have access to free or low-cost telehealth services via local hospitals or community organizations.
