Valuable Benefits of Telehealth

Telehealth is a relatively new and growing way to provide care to patients of rural areas or those too ill to travel to a clinic.

Many patients have preferred virtual communication with their healthcare providers in recent times regardless of their physical location or health status. A study by Software Advice reports that 75% of responders are interested in trying telemedicine.

Thanks to the advent of smartphones, several apps enable healthcare providers and patients to communicate online. This includes exchanging photos, video calls, and text messages.

Through this form of healthcare, patients can access their healthcare providers anytime, from anywhere. It is extremely beneficial for people who live in rural areas.

For example, pregnant women or the elderly can use telemedicine without traveling for hours in an emergency.

What is Telehealth?

By using technology, telehealth enables the delivery of health care services at a distance. This includes everything from conducting medical consultations through the computer to monitoring patients’ vital signs remotely. Its definition is broader than that of telemedicine, which only includes the remote delivery of health care. In addition to training and continuing education, telehealth includes training medical professionals.

There are three ways to deliver telehealth:

A synchronized system is one in which a doctor communicates in real time with a patient via computer or telephone

Data, images, or messages are recorded for later sharing with the doctor asynchronously

A remote patient monitoring system sends measurements to a health care provider such as weight and blood pressure

Telehealth’s Advantages

There are several advantages to using technology to deliver health care, including cost savings, convenience, and the ability to provide care to people who are unable to access local doctors or clinics, or those in rural areas. Telehealth has gained significant popularity over the past decade due to these reasons. Today, 76 percent of hospitals in the U.S. connect doctors and patients through telehealth, a 10 percent increase from 10 years ago.

Since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth has become increasingly important. Fear of spreading and catching the virus during in-person medical visits has led to increased interest in, and use of, technology to provide and receive health care.

Almost three-quarters of Americans surveyed said the pandemic has made them more eager to try virtual care. One in four Americans over 50 reported having visited a virtual health care provider during the first three months of the pandemic, up from just four percent the previous year.

Telehealth: what it can do for you

Telehealth enables the following activities and services:

• Sending your doctor measurements like weight, food intake, blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels, either manually or via a wearable device.
• Having a virtual visit with your doctor or nurse.
• You can use an online portal to check your test results, request prescription refills, send your doctor a message, or schedule an appointment.
• All of your providers should have access to your test results, diagnoses, medications, and drug allergies.
• Care coordination between your primary care provider and any specialists you visit-including the sharing of exam notes and test results between medical offices.
• Receive reminders when you’re due for mammograms, colonoscopies, and other screenings.
• Making sure older adults are eating, sleeping, and taking their medications on time at home.

Telehealth’s downsides

The benefits of telehealth are convenience and cost-effectiveness, but there are a few drawbacks as well.

• For things like imaging tests and blood work, as well as diagnoses that require more hands-on care, you still need to visit the doctor’s office.
• Electronic transmission of personal health data poses a security risk.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, insurance companies are increasingly covering the cost of telehealth visits, but some services may not be fully covered.

Benefits and Advantages of Telehealth

Telehealth is saving the healthcare industry millions of dollars every year. It allows healthcare providers to care for more patients and prevent additional healthcare costs down the road. Telehealth can also bring extra funds to a clinic while boosting patients’ confidence and improving their sense of security.
There are three ways to deliver telehealth:

• Synchronous: real-time communication between the doctor and patient via telephone or computer
• Asynchronous communication: when data, images, or messages are captured for later sharing with the doctor
• Remote patient monitoring: this involves measuring weight, blood pressure, and other parameters and sending them to a health care professional

There are many advantages of telehealth for both patients and healthcare providers. In this article, we examine some of the notable ones.

1. Comfort and Convenience

Among the most valuable benefits of telehealth is the comfort it brings.
With telehealth, you can communicate with your provider from the comfort of your home and receive medical care when you need it. It only requires a smart device, such as a smartphone or computer, and an internet connection.
This eliminates transportation costs, risks, and hassle associated with face-to-face visits. Additionally, telehealth is a great way to fit healthcare appointments into your daily schedule if you have busy.

2. Less Waiting Time

Visits to the doctor’s office can sometimes be frustrating because of the wait. However, with telehealth, you no longer have to worry about this. Since your physician can present you with your diagnosis through videoconferencing, you can get medical care without waiting to see the doctor in person.

3. Reduces the Chance of Contracting Diseases

Health care-acquired infections (HAIs), also called nosocomial infections, happen when patients receive medical or surgical treatment. HAIs can occur in any care setting, including hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and long-term care facilities, and surgical centers.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in American hospitals alone, HAIs are responsible for 99,000 deaths yearly and 1.7 million infections each year.

A nosocomial infection can affect any hospitalized patient. Children, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk of disease than others. Several factors, including the use of indwelling catheters, failure to wash hands by healthcare personnel, and the overuse of antibiotics, contribute to the risk of infection.

With telehealth, you don’t have to worry about contracting an infection because your physician can check your health remotely. Telehealth also allows you to obtain a second opinion about your diagnosis.

4. Accessibility for More Patients

In cases where patients can’t visit a doctor or live in rural areas, telehealth offers a great alternative. Even if your primary care doctor is located in a different city, you can consult via telehealth. You can receive frequent video visits from your physician too.

5. Improves clinical workflows and increases practice efficiency

Telehealth can enhance clinical workflows. Physicians can use patient data to make more informed medical decisions by prioritizing care delivery, triaging each case, and improving communication.
Telehealth is one of the best-performing features of some of our nation’s best-performing practices, according to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Telehealth tools can help improve patient satisfaction scores and overall practice performance.

6. Improves Quality of Care

Telehealth has the potential to ensure patients are more involved in their care and increase their independence. Health outcomes improve when patients gain more interest in their well-being and actively participate in their care management.

7. Increases Revenue for Healthcare Practices

Besides reducing overhead costs per visit, telehealth is more time-efficient for patients and providers alike.

Physicians can bill for uncompensated phone calls while extending their office hours to capture more billable time with telehealth. Telehealth reduces no-shows and ensures efficiency.
Telehealth also presents a competitive advantage, offering innovative ways to attract and retain patients.

8. Medical access for people without health insurance

Many online companies offer cash-pay telemedicine, which does not require health insurance or referrals.

9. Lower cost

Telemedicine appointments are typically cheaper than in-person visits. This reduces out-of-pocket costs and removes a barrier to care.

10. Medical access for people in underserved urban areas

Thousands of Americans, especially communities of color and the uninsured, have been affected by the trend of hospital closures in inner-city neighborhoods.

Through telemedicine, people can see a doctor before they become extremely ill, breaking the cycle.

11. Reduced exposure to pathogens

Telehealth prevents patients from being exposed to viruses and germs while waiting in doctors’ waiting rooms. This helps protect medical professionals as well.

12. No need for childcare

Telehealth eliminates the need to bring children along to a doctor’s appointment, as well as the additional cost of childcare.

13. Doctors are also allowed to stay at home

Doctors and therapists can treat patients safely from their home offices using cybersecurity tools such as virtual private networks. Many medical offices have closed or reduced their hours during the pandemic. It is also possible for doctors and patients to connect after hours and on weekends.

14. Reduction of medical overhead costs

Telemedicine reduces office costs for doctors, such as the cost of front desk staff.

15. The reimbursement of insurance premiums

Several private health insurance companies, including Medicare, now allow doctors and therapists to bill for telehealth services.

Before seeing a doctor remotely, check your policy’s requirements and restrictions, since state laws and insurance plans differ.

16. Support for chronically ill people

Monitors that transmit readings to medical professionals can alert people to new symptoms, declining health, and potential emergencies.

17. Support for mental health online

The COVID-19 has made it difficult for many people to see therapists face-to-face. Telemedicine allows people experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems to start or continue treatment.

18. Psychiatric emergency care

Any time of day or night, people experiencing mental health emergencies, including those at risk for self-harm, can reach a therapist or psychiatrist.

19. Support from peers

People who are facing challenges such as bereavement or infertility have found support through online therapist-led support groups.

20. Anxiety is reduced

It’s not uncommon for people to avoid going to the doctor due to phobias like agoraphobia. Telehealth provides a way to ask questions and access medical support from home.

21. Home physical therapy

The use of telemedicine allows physical therapists to supervise and view exercises and therapies performed in the home, allowing people to recover faster from accidents and surgeries.

22. Infectious Disease Control

The use of telehealth appointments can help doctors prevent & manage the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, and others. In addition, it avoids the need for sick people to visit the office. The less exposure to other people’s germs for those who are chronically ill, pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised.

23. Assessments that are more accurate

Using telemedicine, some specialists can see you at home, which gives them an advantage. An allergist, for instance, may be able to detect signs of allergies in your surroundings. In addition to getting mental health assessments and counseling through telemedicine, neurologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists can also observe you to determine if you are able to navigate and take care of yourself at home.

Disadvantages of Telehealth

Despite its shortcomings, telemedicine doesn’t eliminate the need for other types of healthcare, such as emergency care, which requires a hospital or urgent care center.

Telehealth has the following disadvantages:

• For people with chronic conditions who take medications, telemedicine may make it difficult to make necessary changes in dosage. It may also delay diagnosis for people with chronic conditions.
• Stethoscopes can’t be used to listen to your heart or breathe, take your blood pressure, or take other vital signs.
• It may be difficult for doctors to perform virtual assessments due to the reliance on visual assessments.
• Mammograms, Pap smears, sonograms, and eye pressure exams for glaucoma must be performed in person.
• Some children who receive speech therapy may have difficulty concentrating or working remotely with their therapists.
• State-by-state, insurance coverage or reimbursement varies.

Benefits of Telehealth for Patients in Rural Areas

1. Connecting rural providers with rural patients

Rural patients benefit from telehealth in that they can connect with their providers and communicate with them. The CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion uses a variety of methods to improve rural residents’ health. In light of this, one approach is to deliver health care through technology, such as a mobile phone or computer.

Telehealth enables providers to stay connected with patients from a distance. Through the use of technology, providers are able to offer their services beyond hospitals and clinics. Patients living in more distant areas who may otherwise struggle with transportation and mobility issues can now access telehealth’s telecommunication technology for scheduled visits. Furthermore, via calls or video-conferencing, telehealth enhances the monitoring process between patient and provider, providing an effective way to monitor and do counseling.

2. Promoting patient-centered care

Telehealth has the potential to boost quality and outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction. Through telehealth, there are strong opportunities for patient-centered healthcare. Prioritizing the needs of those living in remote areas is a key benefit, enabling them to access doctors with minimal effort and travel time. Additionally, telehealth provides patients with data-driven access to their health information through monitoring tools. Healthcare providers can also use it to effectively educate patients at home and offer advice on managing their health to achieve optimal results.

3. Reducing readmissions and hospitalizations

The highest healthcare costs are due to readmissions and hospitalizations. By utilizing telehealth, doctors are able to provide timely intervention to patients with heart failure upon early detection of clinical decompensation through telecommunication. The patient will be able to avoid deterioration of their condition that may lead to readmission and hospitalization, which is a remarkable benefit.

4. Providing timely care

The use of telehealth technologies could enable rural patients to receive timely care. Through phones and computers, they could access their providers and do some inquiries at their most convenient time, allowing them to continue their care anytime while also enhancing time adjustment. While doing so, their providers could extend their services 24/7, schedule counseling, and even virtual check-ups to save them more time and allow them to select their preferred time.

5. Reducing costs is number five

Studies show that cost of care has grown by approximately $1 trillion between 1996 and 2013. Subsequently, telehealth is seen as a promising health instrument because it can improve access to medical services for medically underserved populations, and is thought to reduce healthcare costs and promote better health outcomes. This option is especially valuable in rural settings where medical devices may be in short supply, as telehealth provides a more viable way for people receive the care they need. Moreover, telehealth can help avoid confinement and readmission which would lower patient costs, while also eliminating fees related to transportation and scheduled appointments.

How can telehealth help me?

By using telehealth, you can get a variety of specialized health care. Telehealth is especially useful for monitoring and improving ongoing health issues, such as medication changes or chronic health conditions.

Ask your health care provider about telehealth options, especially if you are concerned about COVID-19’s health risks.

Telehealth can help you get the care you need

• Results of a lab test or x-ray
• Treatment for mental health, including online therapy, counseling, and medication management
• Migraines or urinary tract infections that recur
• Conditions of the skin
• Management of prescriptions
• Colds, coughs, and stomachaches require urgent care
• Follow-up after surgery
• Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment and follow-up appointments
• Occupational therapy and physical therapy
• Monitor your health goals and manage chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol remotely

Outlook

In 2021, telehealth has seen continued growth due to increased uptake, favorable consumer perceptions, and tangible investment.

Recent analysis shows telehealth use has increased 38X from the pre-COVID-19 period. Telehealth is an emerging component of the healthcare industry, and the expectation is that telehealth will continue to revolutionize healthcare delivery in the coming years.

If you are ready to embrace telehealth, Ascent Care Partners can help. Our telehealth programs ensure quality care and satisfaction without interrupting your schedule. Contact us today to learn more about our services and receive safe virtual care.