Wondering whether telemedicine is right for your practice? It can be hard to determine the best tools for you, especially when weighing the benefits and disadvantages of telemedicine. In today’s on-the-go, fast-paced, technology-based world, telemedicine provides a way for health practitioners and patients to connect quickly and most importantly, conveniently. Below, you’ll find a beginner’s guide to telemedicine.
What is Telemedicine?
You might be asking, “So if one of my patients calls me with a question, is that telemedicine?” Not exactly. Telemedicine refers to two-way audio and visual communication between a health provider and patient used to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients. The key of telemedicine is an element of interactivity– the seeing and hearing component. Telemedicine started out as a method to connect to rural communities that may not have easy access to health practices and specialists. It is now changing the healthcare landscape in the U.S. as more and more practitioners jump on board.
The Convenience of Telemedicine: Benefits
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Convenience
Perhaps the biggest benefit of telemedicine is its convenience. For both practitioners and patients, scheduling becomes easier. Being able to make appointments around working hours benefits patients who want to see a practitioner before or after they go to work. Not having to take time off work or take time to physically transport to an appointment is now an option. Telemedicine works around a flexible schedule since it doesn’t requires a practitioner to see their patients in a traditional office space. That flexibility is key for busy patients.
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Reduce Wait Time
Telemedicine also gets rid of a huge headache for most patients– wait time. With telemedicine’s access to prompt scheduling, the waiting room is erased from the equation. Patients don’t have to anxiously wait for long periods of time or worry about getting sick from other patients in the room. Healthcare providers don’t have to wait on their patients to arrive on time. Telemedicine allows for appointment times with no preceding waiting periods, improving everyone’s efficiency.
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Quick Access
Another way telemedicine is convenient is during follow-up patient care. Quick access to telemedicine makes it easier for doctors to conduct patient follow-up appointments, such as checking how a certain medication is working or examining symptoms after a sickness. This in turn benefits a patient’s health outcome since it is easier to follow up on their care.
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Generational Benefits
When talking about telemedicine, there are benefits that affect certain generations of
people. Telemedicine can help older-aged patients who may usually need a ride or
accompaniment to the doctor’s office. With telemedicine, they can feel more self-reliant and independent regarding their doctors appointments. For younger generations, especially millennials, who highly value their jobs (to the point of not taking enough time off), telemedicine allows for appointments to be scheduled around workdays.
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Disadvantages of Telemedicine
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Requires Access to Technology
One of the main disadvantages of telemedicine is technological accessibility. Telemedicine requires access to a mobile phone or computer with a functioning camera and audio. While that’s easy to access for some of the population, there are people in lower socio-economic statuses who might not have access to the required technology. That’s why it’s important for there to be no population exclusivity when implementing telemedicine. Don’t switch to solely providing your healthcare service to people through telemedicine, because by doing that, you cut out a portion of the patient population.
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Technological Errors
Another disadvantage of telemedicine is technological error. To put it simply, sometimes technology just doesn’t work. Though it can be reliable, either end of the patient-practitioner connection during telemedicine always has the possibility of not working. That’s always a risk to take when using telemedicine.
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Lacks a Personal Touch
Telemedicine is also assumed to not be as “personal” as physical, in-person interactions with healthcare providers. By not seeing their patients in person, a provider can miss out on witnessing some of the physical symptoms of illness that might need to be checked in a patient. For example, someone with an earache might need to have their ears checked in-person. A variety of other illnesses and ailments need in-person contact to be properly treated or evaluated. That essential in-person contact isn’t available when practicing telemedicine.
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Now that you are equipped with some benefits and disadvantages of telemedicine, you can make a better-informed decision on whether implementing telemedicine is right for you and your practice.
