Telehealth and telemedicine are often used interchangeably and refer to the use of telecommunications for healthcare. This can include a video call with your general practitioner, using an online portal to check test results, or sending your doctor information like your blood pressure or heart rate so that they can assess your health.
With the rise of Covid-19 and the shutdown of clinics and hospitals other than for emergencies, telehealth has become more common and necessary. With remote patient monitoring and video consultations, the future of healthcare is changing. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits that telehealth provides us with.
- Removes the Barriers of Time and Distance
In the case of an emergency, telehealth removes the barriers of time and distance. For example, if someone feels ill, they can get on a video call with their doctor within a few minutes rather than driving over to the clinic or hospital and waiting in the emergency room. Clinicians can extend their reach to patients beyond just the physical clinic and the working hours.
- Increases the Access of Healthcare for Many Patients
Many patients who did not previously have healthcare access can now access it through telehealth mechanisms. This includes bedridden patients who cannot make the journey to the clinic or those who live in rural areas and are too far away from clinics and hospitals.
- Helps the Containment of Infectious Diseases
Especially in the case of Covid-19, doctors can use telehealth appointments to screen patients for Covid-19 or other diseases before they come in for a physical appointment or tests. Other sick people can also benefit from telehealth. If somebody has a chronic illness, they can avoid coming to the hospital or clinic and being exposed to germs by having their appointment virtually.
- Helps Patients Learn Self-Care
Treating patients via online video calls or phone calls means that the patients are required to carry out a certain degree of self-care as per their doctor’s recommendations. For example, the doctor may ask a patient to take certain medications at certain times. This helps patients learn how to take care of themselves between physical visits to the clinic or hospital.
- Improves Workflow and Efficiency at Healthcare Clinics
Through telehealth, there can be quicker delivery of healthcare, better prioritization of patients and procedures, and improved communication between doctors and patients. All of this can help to improve the workflow and efficiency at healthcare clinics.
- Reduces the Costs of Medical Practice
The average cost of an emergency room visit in Florida can be anywhere between $1000 to $3000. There are also the costs of running the emergency room, the machinery, and the equipment used. In contrast to this, a telehealth consultation would save thousands of dollars per patient and reduce medical practice costs.
- Reduces Patient Costs
Going to a clinic or a hospital has many costs associated with it. Other than the cost of the actual appointment, patients incur the costs of travel, childcare, parking, and taking time off from work. Most people skip or delay important hospital visits because they cannot afford all of the costs involved. With telehealth, patient costs are reduced dramatically and allow people to access healthcare whenever they need it.
- Reduces the Number of Missed Appointments
When patients have to travel far to get to hospitals and clinics or miss work to go to a follow-up appointment, there are many missed appointments. This is a huge waste of resources and clinicians’ time. With virtual or video consultation appointments, many patients are less likely to miss the appointments.
- Allows Patients to Have Family Support
There is often a restriction on who a patient can take into a doctor’s appointment with them or who can come visit a patient while they have been admitted for monitoring or treatment. For a video consultation, there would not be any such restrictions. If a patient would like a family member to join the video call, that could easily be arranged, even if the family member is not physically present with them. In the same way, if a patient is treating themselves at home, their family can have access to them at all times.
Hillsboro Urgent Care
The Hillsboro Urgent Care Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care facility is dedicated to providing excellent family healthcare. We also provide telehealth facilities so that you can avail all the benefits of telehealth and are just a phone call away in the case of emergencies.
Call us at (954) 869-9856 or visit our website for more information. We also take walk-ins and do not require you to make a previous appointment!
