Telehealth and telemedicine are terms we keep on hearing nowadays. Since the pandemic, our way of life has changed, so too has the delivery of healthcare and services to everyone. This is one great option brought about by technology and the internet.
There are a few choices or options for telehealth care
➡️ A live call from your doctor, through smartphones, tablets, or computers.
➡️ Email messages and chats through secure messaging and secure file exchanges for documentation and instructions.
➡️ IoT for remote monitoring. Your healthcare provider can use devices that can monitor your blood pressure, vitals, oxygen, temperature, among others.
Telemedicine is meant for people without access to health services, especially during these times. If you also do not have access to the internet, you may want to check if you are qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, https://getemergencybroadband.org.
What kinds of services can be had from telehealth?
Most of the time, we envision telehealth as a way to get a check-up from afar. That is true, but we tend to overlook that telehealth can be a big help to monitor certain conditions, improve ongoing health concerns that do not really require immediate hospitalization, therapy, and even some chronic conditions. It can also be a big aid in times when medications need to be changed.
Telehealth will, of course, be ultimately your doctor’s decision, more so these times when we all have some form of fear due to the pandemic.
Telehealth services can include
☑️ Follow-up after Surgery
☑️ Counseling and Therapy
☑️ Lab tests and results
☑️ Management of Skin Conditions
☑️ Administration of Prescriptions
☑️ Quick, urgent cases such as colds, coughs, stomach aches
Through telehealth, the patient needs to communicate a lot of information with their health practitioner, that will help them find the right solution for the patient.
👍 Images of an affected area, like wounds, skin, blisters, the eyes.
👍 The patient’s symptoms
👍 Temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels, and other vitals.
👍 Medical records may also be necessary to send
Using telehealth, your healthcare practitioner can send their diagnosis to help the patients with their health concerns while at home:
👍 OTC medicines that can help ease quick cases.
👍 Reminders and notices to the patient’s devices about medications and rehabilitation exercises.
👍 Instructions on continuing treatment and improvement at home.
👍 Suggestions and updates on diet, stress management, or even patient mobility.
👍 Words of encouragement from your healthcare professional for the patient to stick to their regimen, their treatment plan.
Benefits of Telehealth
There are some great benefits of telehealth both for the patients and health practitioners.
☑️ Very little physical contact reduces everyone’s exposure to Covid-19
☑️ Patients and healthcare professionals can communicate anywhere, anytime
☑️ Less travel time, means less time off work, no need to get a sitter
☑️ Appointments are easier to schedule
☑️ Specialists can now be reached no matter how far they are
☑️ Healthcare professional can now increase their service, creating extra income for them
☑️ Healthcare professionals can now look after their patients, without the threat of further exposing themselves or the patient.
Set up your telehealth service
It may be a daunting experience when you set up your own telehealth practice. It’s not a simple zoom call to your patient. There are lots to consider such as scheduling, payment facilities, insurance concerns, follow-ups, and monitoring. Do not forget compliance to EHR and EMR standards, since you will be dealing with patients’ records and details. These may hinder healthcare professionals from doing their roles. Some technology may also be too complicated for both patient and doctor.
If you want to start a telehealth practice. Let someone else take the burden of technology from you, so you can focus on your patients and helping others. It may be time to have a chat with Boom Logic.
