Like everything else in today’s fast-paced world, medicine is also evolving to ensure accessibility and convenience. Telemedicine gained visible momentum in the backdrop of COVID-19, proving to be a literal lifeline for millions.
Telemedicine is the phenomenon of providing medical services and assistance remotely with the help of telecommunication advancement. It has massively improved the quality of life by bridging the distance between healthcare professionals and patients.
Stable and dependable internet access is important for almost all operations in life now. For telemedicine, this statement stands especially true because of the vitality of healthcare as a field. Cox Internet plans offer a wide range of options to ensure an uninterrupted virtual healthcare experience.
Telemedicine is something that has not only benefited people in remote areas, but it is also beneficial for a myriad of other purposes, for doctors and patients alike. Let’s delve into the advantages of telemedicine without further ado.
Benefits of Telemedicine for Patients
- Bypassing Transportation Expenses
In addition to the fee, visits to doctor’s offices or clinics weigh on your pocket because of increased fuel costs. If you are someone who needs to go to the doctor’s very often or live in a remote area, this cost adds up to make a whole chunk of your budget. Telemedicine helps you avoid this expense with a more pocket-friendly alternative by making a consultation appointment from anywhere and everywhere.
- Child/Senior Care Alternatives
It is customary for a person who acts as a primary caregiver to children or the elderly, to neglect their health. It is a full-time job that leaves you unable to leave the house. Telehealth consultations help you avoid the added cost and hassle of finding a babysitter or nurse.
- Facilitating your Routine
If you have a job, chances are that you have had to sacrifice a payday, or at least half of it, to schedule an appointment with your doctor. This is an issue that students also face regularly, having to miss school to go to the doctor. Telemedicine has made it easy to incorporate healthcare into the routine of an individual.
- Deflecting Infections
Where do you run into the highest number of sick people? At a hospital or clinic for sure. With telemedicine, it is now possible to avoid contact with other sick people. If you are a person who is already vulnerable due to factors like pregnancy, old age, or a compromised immune system, you can especially benefit from a remote appointment.
- Minimizing Wait Time
“I really cherish the time I spend in waiting rooms”, said no one ever. Time is not only valuable for doctors, it is equally so for patients as well. With a remote online consultation, you can easily by-pass the wait time and spend it on something you would normally be doing in that time.
- Comfort in Treating Taboo Diseases
Oftentimes patients delay treatment because of subconscious embarrassment brought on by a disease that is still stigmatized like erectile dysfunction, PCOS, mental health issues, etc. This is also the root cause of a lot of problems resulting from self-medication. Not going to the doctor’s office out of fear of judgment can result in the worsening of the condition. Telemedicine can help eliminate the reluctance a patient might be displaying because of embarrassment.
- Managing Long-term Diseases
Treating long-term diseases that require frequent consultations can get cumbersome. Sleeping on these appointments can cause chronic issues. If you want to reduce the number of visits and still get the required consultation, virtual consultations can be helpful.
Benefits of Telemedicine for Doctors
- Increment in Income
There are a lot of patients who do not seek care because they are not able to work a doctor’s visit into their routines or cannot commute to the healthcare establishment. Telemedicine eliminates these factors and provides an at-home solution for their ailments. This has increased the volume of patients seeking care, hence, increasing the income for doctors.
- Patient Satisfaction
While searching for doctors online, patients come across their ratings and reviews, increasing confidence in their professional capabilities. In addition to this, when their commute and waiting time is not more than the actual length of the consultation, patient satisfaction levels are generally higher.
- Cost-cutting
The operational cost of clinics is very high. With the help of telemedicine, doctors get to save a lot of capital going into maintenance and staffing arrangements. On top of that, virtual consultations also eliminate the cost of commuting for a doctor as they do for the patients.
- Protection from Pathogens
Frontline healthcare workers deserve a medal for their courage in the face of infections of all kinds. However, telemedicine has helped reduce the risk of contraction by a lot with remote consultations with patients with contagious diseases. The process of pre-screening patients for deadly infections has helped doctors protect themselves while still caring for patients.
- Stay-at-home Parent Doctors
Medicine is a field that requires a lot of personal and financial investment. It is very demanding in terms of required hours and associated danger. Oftentimes female doctors take a career break or become stay-at-home mothers because of these reasons. Telemedicine provides the opportunity for them to continue their practice while still caring for their newborn children.
Wrapping Up
Technological advancement and refinement of communication technologies are making telemedicine more sophisticated. There are still areas of concern like lack of physical contact to diagnose symptoms and running tests that require the physical presence of the patient. The industry is going through improvements to address them. The objective is to make the phenomenon even more widespread so people can benefit from affordable healthcare from their homes.
