In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, telemedicine is the new buzzword. Moreover, it looks like its advent will be one of the most prominent post-pandemic changes in the global healthcare system.
In this article, we will uncover the benefits of telemedicine, explore its use cases and talk about the challenges that stand in the way of its implementation. But first, let’s agree at its precise definition.
What is telemedicine?
“The exchange of medical information from one location to another using the means of telecommunication” is one of the most precise telemedicine definitions across the web. Within this definition, ‘medical info’ refers to a range of data exchanges, from medical images to online in-person consultations.
The proliferation of telecommunication services and tools, as well as the vast availability of mobile devices, account for the increasing accessibility of telemedicine in recent years. As of today, the range of telemedicine activities and services include:
– Video conferencing
– Transmission of medical images
– Remote monitoring of patients’ vital signals
– E-health portals for patients
– Electronic medical records of all sorts., etc
Ultimately, telemedicine is the means of delivering medical services. Originally, the intention of telemedicine was to bring healthcare to remote and rural areas. Today, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting most of the world, it could truly become a lifesaver.
Benefits of telemedicine
By eliminating physical contact, telemedicine helps protect the doctors, who are currently in the frontline of an epidemic. Moreover, in a situation when patients may contract a virus when visiting a medical institution, telemedicine helps to deliver urgent medical assistance to patients in dire need of a consultation. Furthermore, the benefits of telemedicine include:
Cutting down travel time and expenses
Unless you are lucky to live nearby, commuting to your doctor’s office for an in-person appointment may take hours. Making online appointments, on the other hand, saves time, expenses and hassle.
Bringing medical services to the underserved population
Telemedicine is a solution for people in far off regions and areas. Also, during the lockdown when many medical institutions and services are unavailable, telemedicine is helping patients with urgent health conditions access medical services.
Extending the choice of healthcare specialists
One of the telemedicine most admirable options is the ability to select between a range of specialists, instead of limiting the patients’ choice to medical professionals and clinics in the nearby area. As such, telemedicine truly extends the scope of medical services beyond physical boundaries.
Offering unified access to medical records
As of today, telemedicine contributes to granting patients access to unified electronic health records (EHR). Not only does it eliminate the paperwork and facilitate diagnostics, but it also enables data analytics systems to make assessments and predictions in emergency situations like pandemics.
Surely, telemedicine doesn’t apply in every instance, and there are situations when doctors’ presence is absolutely necessary. Yet, telemedicine has the potential to address a wide range of issues, and assist with diagnostic and treatment.
Telemedicine use cases
Here’s how the use of telemedicine can assist different medical specialties:
Surgery
In the future, robo-surgeons operated by human doctors are likely to become mainstream. Yet, today this technology is still in its infancy. However, telemedicine may assist at the pre- and post-surgery stages by offering patients instructions on how to prepare for the upcoming surgery, and on how to take care of post-surgical wounds. Through high-resolution image transmission, doctors can conduct remote examinations of bandages to check if the healing process is going as planned.
Psychiatry
While telemedicine surely won’t be able to replace hospital care, remote psychiatric consultations may actually be even more effective than in-person visits. Moreover, patients may find the remote format more rewarding, because it enables them to talk to doctors from the security of their homes. Consequently, they may be more eager to accept hospital treatment, because of the comfort and reassurance they received in an informal setting.
Read also: Using Modern Software Solutions to Run a Med Lab in 2020
Cardiology
Cardiologists deal with a wide range of tests and procedures that they prescribe to patients in order to monitor their state. These measurements can be done remotely, using domestic monitoring devices (such as, for example, blood pressure monitors) to capture and transmit data. Such procedures may help prevent serious conditions, take timely action and avoid hospitalizations.
Furthermore, telemedicine is highly effective in treating conditions like allergies, upper respiratory infections, rashes, diabetes, asthma, chronic bronchitis, conjunctivitis. It can also be applied for wellness and nutrition consultations.
Top challenges faced by telemedicine
Despite the fact that telemedicine has been around for several years now, there are still many challenges and roadblocks to its development. COVID-19 is a huge incentive to finally remove these roadblocks and accelerate the spread of telemedicine. Currently, there are three major issues standing in its way:
1. Legislation
For telemedicine to unleash its full potential, local legislation should ensure its parity with traditional medical services. For example, while in the US telemedicine reimbursements rates are the same as for in-person visits, in some states this is not the case. The laws as to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, as well as private insurers may also differ depending on a state. Furthermore, the state licensing requirements still apply even if a clinic uses telemedicine to deliver its services.
2.Technology and equipment
Implementing telemedicine normally involves software acquisition, setup up and personnel training, and requires time and investments. While eventually, telemedicine brings high ROI, the technology, equipment and staff education could be taking a toll on clinics’ budgets.
3. Security
Because they deal with highly sensitive patient data, doctors can’t use publicly available apps like Skype to communicate with patients. In the United States, telemedicine solutions have to comply with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and have top-notch security to prevent breaches. Moreover, all parties involved in delivering services via telemedicine should prove that they are HIPAA compliant.
Yet, despite these serious challenges, the global market for telemedicine had reached $31,46 billion in 2020, and is sure to exceed its predicted growth rate of 19, 28% by 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, telemedicine may completely transform the way we deliver and accept medical services.
Read also: How Automation And IoT Are Transforming Healthcare
At VARTEQ we are proficient at building bespoke tools and services for healthcare. Request a free consultation with our experts now, if you want to tap into the potential of telemedicine.