In the world of technology where things are changing drastically, convenience and solutions-oriented products are becoming the norm. Fast food at your doorstep, express home deliveries, easy cab booking through the internet, purchasing books online and almost everything that you can ever think of, technology is becoming a savior for us. Amidst all the havoc created by COVID, another need emerged and this time, it was much different than ever.
The fragile health care industry needed help and technology provided an easy solution – telemedicine. During the lockdown when hospitals shut down and only emergency COVID patients were allowed to visit, patients with other diseases were neglected. To address this problem, the telemedicine industry boomed. Now with the help of your phone, you can dial a number and talk to your doctor at any time, anywhere without waiting in line.
How Telemedicine Is Transforming Health Sector
The US health sector and pharmaceutical industry are becoming a giant. Compared to the rest of the world, medicine and health care facilities are quite expensive in the US. Since the pharmaceutical and health industry is too big to fail, there is no escape. However, telemedicine service offers an easy solution. Now, you can easily contact your doctor by audio or video call. Consequently, you will be saving the consultancy fee because telemedicine service costs peanuts compared to traditional consultancy.
Some of the main ways telemedicine service can revolutionize the current health system and offer relief to the patients include:
Cutting the Cost
One of the biggest issues so far is linked with the cost of a medical bill. The USA is notorious for hefty medical bills. Most insurances only cover a certain aspect of the treatment. The majority of the patients have to pay for either consultation or medicine. Now, with the help of telemedicine service, you can bring the overall cost to a minimum. Most of the online consultation services are dirt cheap as compared to the traditional consultancy method.
Saving Time
In a fast-paced life where keeping up with simple house chores can become quite a task, it can get very challenging to set an appointment and then wait for your doctor to come. With the help of telemedicine, you can easily save traveling and waiting time.
Helps with Emergency Situation
In emergencies, most people end up trying home remedies that can harm their health. However, with telemedicine, you can simply consult your doctor at any time and according to the situation, your doctor will tell you what to do.
No Long Queues
As fuel prices are on the rise, traveling can become a serious issue. From waiting in gas queues at your local gas station to waiting at the ER or OPD at your hospital, things can escalate quickly. The easiest option is to dial your telemedicine service and just with one video call you will be able to get the issue resolved.
24/7 Consultancy
Where hospitals only allow ER and OPD 24/7, other patients have to wait for the whole day. However, with the help of a telemedicine service, you can consult your doctor at any time without hesitation.
Top Key Trends Driving the Future of Telehealth
When telehealth was first introduced, its main focus was to reduce the need for a doctor and tell people to minimize their hospital visits by converting them to online. Where most people feared that this would further enhance the gap between the patient and the doctor, results were completely different. Some of the top trends that have been observed in the telehealth industry include:
Better chronic Care Management
Penitents with chronic pains and chronic illnesses usually need 24/7 attention. However, with the emergency in the hospitals, it became nearly impossible for them to gain the attention that they deserved. This is where telehealth service comes in. Now people can stay home and they can contact their required doctor at any time and ask for professional advice.
More Utilization by the People
Unlike the major concern that first raised many questions, the changing trends have concluded that more people feel at ease to contact their doctors through online platforms. This has reduced the overall distance between the patent and doctor making them feel more relaxed and dependent on the health professionals for small things.
Main Focus on Medication
Where most people thought that with simple connection more people will rely on simple remedies rather than relying on medication, it was later noticed that people were indeed getting the right attention that they deserve because now professionals can guide them through the real solution.
Better User Experience
As telehealth is becoming a trend, the tech industry is getting more interested in using tech for health purposes. This has helped people get better machines so they can improve their overall well and now with the help of these machines they do not even need to get in touch with their doctors because these machines are sophisticated enough to get in contact with their doctors right away.
Easy Remote Technology Access
Now users are being watched for every small issue. People with light bleeding to extreme illnesses can have remote monitoring access. Companies are now helping people to stay connected by offering them a simple solution where they can stay connected at all times and the doctors will have success with all the monitoring machines through computers. It will also become easier for them to extract the data at any time.
Wearable Gadgets
Since more people now prefer the use of remote telehealth facilities technology is advancing and people are now wearing small health wearables that can help them share data with their doctors so they can stay connected without feeling that they might share wrong data with their doctor.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, telehealth was introduced as just a simple method for helping people seek medical attention remotely. However, things are changing now. More people are looking for ways to stay in touch with online doctors because they find it easier and more affordable. Patients with chronic illness who cannot afford hospital beds are using this technology to monitor their day-to-day changes in health. Overall telehealth service is now becoming one of the best things that have ever happened to the health industry. From basic infrastructure change to long-term patent management telehealth service will change everything in near future.