Telehealth: What research suggests?

Research suggests that Telehealth has become increasingly popular, with almost 29% of U.S. adults using remote healthcare services since the pandemic. Of these individuals, over 19% use telehealth or virtual doctor visits, while the remainder rely on telemedicine websites and apps, as indicated by data collected by Forbes-Health Ipsos Tracker. While telehealth may not be suitable for every medical condition, it does offer the convenience and flexibility of receiving treatment from home, bridging the gap between long waiting hours and in-person doctor visits.

As technology continues to advance and become more accessible with adaptable designs, telehealth care is expected to become more affordable and advantageous over time. Recent medical findings show that 93% of physicians plan to continue using telehealth solutions in the future. In addition, many healthcare executives recognize that telehealth is a lasting care model.

Furthermore, the use of remote monitoring and remote diagnostic apps has helped provide a new strategic healthcare approach to longstanding medical problems. Technology providers are solution-oriented and believe that virtual care is here to stay, as evidenced by the increasing adoption of telemedicine solutions.

Telehealth: What does this mean?

Telehealth is particularly the use of digital technology for getting health-related information and communication and access to healthcare services remotely through a click of a button.

The major goals of telehealth/e-health/mobile health (mHealth) include:

1. 1. Making healthcare accessible to remote communities, which have limited time, transportation and ability to move,
2. 2. Keeping patients and others safe in case the patient is suffering from any type of communicable or infectious disease, like – COVID 19
3. 3. Offering at least basic and primary care to the patient
4. 4. Improving the internal communication and coordination between the doctors, nurses, healthcare team and the patient
5. 5. Offering advice on how to do self-care management efficiently

The above-mentioned goals apply to different kinds of Patient archetypes like high-risk patients suffering from chronic conditions and who are healthy and under a lower-risk category.

Types of Telehealth services

Following are some of the key examples of the types of Telehealth services available:

1. Virtual Visit Website Portals: There are a plethora of hospitals and clinics that offer telemedicine and telehealth care to patients. For instance, hospitals may offer virtual visits. These virtual visits help the patient to consult a doctor, mental healthcare professional, a nurse via video calls or phone chats. These types of visits are helpful when the patient is suffering from mental illness, general illnesses like – thyroid, diabetes, cold, coughs, skin conditions, and some type of communicable or infectious disease. Health care teams from hospitals practising virtual visits may share forms to fill up online by the patient’s family, They also ensure that the patient team has a smooth internet connection, the required app downloaded, the correct login details and the ease of using an application. All one need is a smartphone along with access to the internet and a suitable quiet place to join the consultation.

2. Remote Monitoring Mobile Applications: The technology that is used under remote monitoring includes:

1. The data is to be uploaded on the apps and shared with the healthcare team. For example: if a patient is suffering from diabetes, he/she needs to upload the food log, blood sugar levels etc. on a portal used by the hospital or clinic.
2.  Wireless devices that measure and share data, like blood sugar level, oxygen level, etc.
3.  Wearable devices that automatically record and send data, such as devices that measure heart rate, postures, tremors, sleep hours, physical activities of a day, etc.
4. Home monitoring devices for elderly people can find changes in daily activities like falls and send reminders to exercise, take medicines, etc.

3. Patient Web Portal: The primary care clinics have online patient portals that are a much more feasible option both for the hospitals/clinics and patients. Through these portals, patients can:

1.  Message the healthcare provider team or the nurse safely
2.  Ask for prescription refills
3. Review the reports of the last visits and summarise the same
4. Systematically schedule the next visit or ask for appointment reminders from the healthcare providers

4. Personal Health Applications: Under telehealth, personal health applications help people better organise their medical information in one place. These digital tools help patients to:

1. Record nutrition intake, physical activities, and vital signs and store health information
2. Calculate, record and track the calories
3. Schedule reminders for taking medicines on time without fail

5. Personal Health Records system: A personal health record system (PHR system) is a system that collects information regarding the control and maintenance of health. A PHR app is easy to use and allows patients to review the lab reports, and X-ray reports from the provider. In case of emergency, A PHR system can show the current condition of the patient, drugs in use, healthcare provider’s contact details, self-administered dialysis etc.

Telehealth: Care at home delivers more value and quality care

The Telehealth model offers greater value and improved quality of care by enabling patients to receive medical attention from the comfort of their homes. This can be illustrated through the story of Mrs. Lucy, a 75-year-old woman suffering from multiple health conditions who has opted for the Care at Home model of Telehealth. Rather than being admitted to a hospital or a 24 hour care facility, Mrs. Lucy receives remote patient monitoring, daily telehealth visits with her physician, and in-person care from a nurse. She also benefits from meals delivered to her home through community organizers. Despite her limited mobility, Mrs. Lucy enjoys a carefree life.

In conclusion, Telehealth’s care at home model is an effective way to improve patient care and experience. As digital health technology continues to evolve and engage patients, healthcare industry leaders should seek out new, smart, and user-friendly Telehealth options that provide significant benefits. The health tech industry must refine mobile and virtual strategies and address major pain points to maximize the impact of digital health for all.

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