Healthcare costs around the world have increased dramatically and gaining access to quality healthcare can be a struggle for many people in underserved areas. The answer to these problems comes in the form of virtual healthcare visits called Tele-health. Tele-health, also referred to as telemedicine, allows people to see their healthcare provider without commuting to their office. It allows patients to attend an appointment online using an internet-connected device. Patients can talk to their providers either on the phone or through a video call, send messages to their providers, access up-to-date treatment plans, and use technology to share information like blood glucose levels and blood pressure with their physicians.
Benefits of Tele-health
Using tele-health options may be intimidating to some people because they don’t know what to expect. A tele-medicine appointment is very similar to a standard doctor visit, but it can be handled from the comfort of your own home. Tele-health does not take the place of all doctor visits and patients will need to see their doctor in person sometimes, but not as often as they normally would.
Telehealth helps protect people who are considered at high risk of getting sick by reducing their exposure to a waiting room full of sick people. Patients have reported getting an appointment easier, reducing the amount of travel time associated with healthcare issues, ease of finding a doctor that they are comfortable with because they can see providers that are a farther distance from them, and the ease of accessing tele-health programs from their existing electronic devices. While tele-health isn’t for everyone, most patients report a better experience using this option in place of visiting their doctor’s office.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of tele-health and virtual doctor visits became a necessity to protect countless people in vulnerable communities. A lot of people were worried about how integrating virtual appointments would affect cost and outcomes of receiving medical care and managing chronic conditions, especially since it was a fairly new concept. Now tele-medicine has become a staple in patient care and it is constantly evolving and improving. It has proven to be a cost-effective approach to healthcare and can be used in a wide range of situations that benefit both the patient and the medical provider. These virtual visits are an easy, cost-effective approach to consultations, follow-ups, diagnosing, examining, and even treating patients.
Tele-medicine has empowered patients to actively engage in taking control and communicating about their healthcare from anywhere in the world. It helps patients stick to treatment plans as well, which dramatically improves the overall outcome of their care.
Tele-medicine has changed the way healthcare is delivered and expanded access to healthcare for millions of people. It offers convenience to patients, allows for faster specialist consultations, reduces wait time to see a doctor, reduces the stress of sitting in a waiting room, removes transportation issues many patients face and reduces overall healthcare costs.
Reaching Patients Who Were Previously Underserved
Before the concept of tele-health became a staple in the world of healthcare, millions of people were considered to be in areas that were statistically underserved. Tele-health has allowed people who are in underserved areas to reach out to doctors who can treat them, dramatically reducing the cost they face by relying on emergency rooms and urgent care facilities to treat everyday ailments that could be treated much cheaper at a doctor’s office. Diagnosing and treating health conditions early reduces not only the progression of an illness but also the cost of treatment over time.
Reducing Patient Costs Associated with Healthcare
With the ability of patients to attend medical visits from the privacy of their own homes, Tele-health virtually eliminates the need for patients to travel to hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices, cutting down on travel expenses that many patients struggle with. It also reduces the amount of time that patients need to take off from their jobs to attend visits or seek medical treatment for minor issues or follow-up visits for chronic conditions. Virtual visits also contribute to a reduced risk of hospital re-admissions for patients after they are discharged. The advancements in tele-health allow doctors to monitor patients closely while providing and adapting treatment plans to best accommodate their patients. It has also been found that remote patient monitoring can increase the likelihood of long-term patient compliance, which reduces the risk of patients needing to be readmitted to the hospital to adjust their treatment plans.
Reducing Cost to Providers and Reducing Service Fees
Telehealth reduces the costs associated with visiting a medical facility and reduces service fees associated with visiting a doctor face-to-face. Remote access to primary health doctors, disease management specialists, and mental health professionals helps to reduce additional expenses associated with extra unnecessary procedures, unnecessary diagnostic testing, and referrals to specialists that the patient does not need.
It allows providers to fill in appointment gaps between patients and helps reduce the cost of face-to-face healthcare delivery. It allows providers to increase and prioritize workflow and reduces the number of no-show appointments that leave gaps in the workday. Tele-medicine has increased patient retention rates dramatically, leading to a more predictable and steady patient flow. By taking advantage of the flexibility provided by tele-medicine, physicians save both cost and time, these savings can be passed onto the patient.
Providers also see a cost reduction because they can manage more patients with less staff. They also do not have to worry about the overhead cost of frequently used items in their office, such as the paper coverings on exam beds, and linens, cleaning between patients, and paying a service to deep clean their office and treatment areas as often.
As you can see, virtual doctor visits can financially benefit both patients and doctors. It can also reduce the amount of stress that both experience when it comes to healthcare.