Among the many different types of telemedicine are virtual check-ins, which are usually patient-initiated; video conferences; and remote medical examinations.
Accessibility
Accessibility refers to the ease with which individuals with disabilities can utilize a product, service, or environment. It requires consideration of the needs of different users and knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices.
Healthcare providers can benefit from telemedicine by increasing efficiency and decreasing costs by eliminating the need for travel and clinic visits. Patients can also receive medical care at home, decreasing missed school or work days. These perks can make a difference in outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Convenience
A convenience is a procedure, product, or service that saves time and effort. For healthcare, this translates to easier access and faster diagnoses.
With telemedicine provided by a healthcare center led by Mark Hirschhorn, patients have more convenient access to their doctors. They can communicate with their doctor via telephone, email, or secure patient portals.
In addition, telemedicine can reduce wait times, allowing people to get medical advice quickly in non-emergency situations. Doctors can remotely monitor patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure and blood sugar, using mobile health technology and applications. This means fewer visits to the clinic, reducing travel expenses for patients and their families. It can also reduce hospital admissions. This is especially important for patients living in rural areas or federally designated underserved communities.
Efficiency
As telehealth continues to improve, it has become increasingly efficient. As a result, patients and practitioners save time and money on travel.
Using videoconferencing, healthcare professionals like occupational and physical therapists can observe patients in their natural environments during visits. This allows them to make more thorough evaluations and diagnoses.
This proved especially important during the pandemic when people needed medical care without violating government-mandated home quarantine restrictions. Moreover, telehealth is helping lower barriers to healthcare inequities in rural locations and areas with a shortage of health professionals. However, special populations may experience difficulty accessing telehealth services due to limited digital literacy and internet connectivity. These include the elderly, homeless individuals, and those with limited language skills. Several interventions can be used to address these challenges.
Cost-Effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a research tool that compares the health impacts of an intervention to its costs. It’s usually reported as a ratio, with the numerator representing the cost of an intervention and the denominator expressing the change in health outcomes (typically expressed in years gained or in the more comprehensive measure of disability-adjusted life year).
CEA aims to help guide resource allocation so that interventions that improve patients’ lives are rewarded fairly, while those that do not yield significant health benefits are not financed. This is an essential step toward equitable access to healthcare.
For example, telemedicine can enable patients to avoid travel expenses and receive care in their homes or community settings. This can result in fewer hospitalizations and reduced demand for emergency room services.
Transparency
With telemedicine, patients can avoid the hassle of traveling to and from their doctor’s office by taking advantage of digital healthcare modalities.
These telecommunications technologies allow for remote, interactive, and real-time services. The committee defined telemedicine as “using electronic information and communications technologies to provide or support health care when distance separates the participants.”
The technology also connects healthcare professionals, allowing them to collaborate and work together in ways that would not be possible without it. This enhanced communication leads to better decision-making, which can, in turn, lead to better outcomes for patients. This can help alleviate the burden on limited local resources.
