Key Takeaways
- Telehealth provides more convenient, efficient, and accessible healthcare services.
- It saves time and reduces the cost of travel for patients.
- It improves access to care for patients who live in rural or remote areas or who have mobility limitations.
- Telehealth facilitates earlier interventions and regular monitoring of chronic conditions, which can lead to better disease management and prevention of complications.
- It offers more flexible and personalized care options that fit patients’ lifestyles and preferences, leading to improved patient engagement and satisfaction.
- Telehealth reduces healthcare costs by decreasing the need for in-person visits, hospital admissions, and emergency department visits.
One of the hottest buzzwords in healthcare right now is “patient-centered care.”
In fact, the majority of healthcare reform initiatives, including the Affordable Care Act, aim to bring together various health systems and providers in order to guarantee that each patient receives the appropriate care from the appropriate provider at the appropriate time. Moreover, “right time” frequently refers to “exactly this second.”
In the past, however, providing patients with healthcare on-demand was almost impossible; even visits to the emergency room often involve a wait before being examined. But, with the development of telehealth, consumers now have access to on-demand health care, which is fantastic news for clinicians wanting to raise patient satisfaction. The telehealth sector is estimated to reach a market value of $194.1 billion by the end of 2023.
In recent years, telehealth has emerged as a popular form of healthcare delivery that is transforming the way patients receive medical care. Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, involves the use of technology to provide healthcare services remotely. It encompasses a wide range of services, including virtual consultations, remote monitoring, and messaging.
Telehealth has the potential to significantly improve patient care by providing convenient, accessible, and cost-effective healthcare services that can lead to better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. In this article, we will explore the ways in which telehealth improves patient care.
How Does Telehealth Improve Patient Care?
1. Improved access to care
One of the most significant advantages of telehealth is that it improves access to care. Patients who live in remote or rural areas often face challenges accessing medical services. Telehealth enables these patients to access medical care from anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. This can be especially important for patients who need specialized care that is not available in their local area.
Telehealth can also improve access to care for patients with mobility issues or disabilities. These patients may find it difficult to travel to medical facilities for routine appointments. Telehealth can eliminate the need for these patients to travel, making it easier for them to access the care they need.
2. Faster care delivery through telehealth leads to better patient outcomes.
For many illnesses, the better the prospective outcomes of treatment, the quicker the patient receives it. In other words, patients’ illnesses frequently worsen when they wait for treatment, making it that much more challenging for the practitioner to restore them to full health. This can happen because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of scheduling an appointment or because they can’t immediately get on the provider’s schedule.
Yet, there are significantly fewer obstacles to fast care delivery when patients use telehealth, so they can begin their recovery process before their diseases worsen. Better patient results and more patient satisfaction follow from that.
3. It’s less expensive for patients’ wallets.
According to research, telehealth services are less expensive than healthcare provided in a traditional setting—both for individual visits as well as for downstream cost savings. According to this article, “after accounting for what happens after the appointment, the projected cost difference between a telehealth visit and a matching office-based visit is approximately $40.”
Reiterating my first argument, early care delivery helps patients avoid the need for more complicated — and expensive — therapy by preventing their diseases from getting worse.
Also, patients are often happier and healthier when they pay less for healthcare services.
4. Patients get the impression that they are the first priority.
Nobody enjoys feeling forgotten or disregarded. Also, it’s simple for a patient to feel unimportant when they are unwell or in pain and instructed to wait until a doctor is available in the waiting room. No matter how excellent their care is, no provider can easily climb out of a hole like that when it comes to patient satisfaction.
In what ways does telemedicine enhance the patient experience? It enables patients to avoid unpleasant waiting room experiences, resulting in substantially greater baseline levels of satisfaction for their meetings with doctors.
5. More patients can be seen by clinicians as a result.
In physical medical offices, the availability of the treatment room affects the provider’s ability to book an appointment for the patient’s preferred date and time. There are only so many rooms in the building, after all, thus there are only so many appointment times available.
In reality, a recent study found that new patients nationwide must wait an average of 18 days before seeing a doctor in 15 major cities. These schedule restrictions are removed with telehealth, allowing physicians to see more patients and increase customer satisfaction.
Consumers in today’s world, including those who use healthcare, have high expectations. Meeting those expectations can be difficult for healthcare providers who are already overburdened and have few resources.
Yet, in the present healthcare reform-driven environment, the significance of patient happiness will only increase, therefore providers can’t afford to ignore the need to explore for creative ways to keep their patients content.
6. Increased patient engagement
Another key benefit of telehealth is that it ensures patient engagement. Patients who use telehealth services have more convenient and flexible access to medical professionals. This can lead to better patient engagement, which has been linked to improved health outcomes.
Telehealth allows patients to take a more active role in their healthcare. Patients can monitor their symptoms, track their progress, and communicate with their healthcare providers more easily. This can help patients to stay on top of their health and make informed decisions about their care.
7. Better management of chronic conditions
Telehealth can also improve the management of chronic conditions. Patients with chronic conditions often require regular monitoring and support from medical professionals. Telehealth can provide these patients with the tools they need to manage their conditions effectively.
For example, remote monitoring can enable patients to track their vital signs, such as blood pressure and blood glucose levels, and share this information with their healthcare providers. This can help patients to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
8. Reduced healthcare costs
Telehealth can also help to reduce healthcare costs. Patients who use telehealth services can avoid the costs associated with traveling to medical facilities for routine appointments. This can be especially important for patients who live in remote areas or who have mobility issues.
Telehealth can also reduce healthcare costs by improving medication adherence. Patients who use telehealth services are more likely to take their medications as prescribed, which can help to reduce the risk of hospital readmissions.
9. Improved provider collaboration
Finally, telehealth can improve collaboration between medical professionals. Telehealth enables medical professionals to share patient information and consult with each other remotely. This can lead to more coordinated care and better patient outcomes.
For example, telehealth can enable primary care physicians to consult with specialists more easily. This can lead to more timely and accurate diagnoses, and more effective treatment plans.
10. Improved healthcare provider efficiency
Using telehealth, healthcare professionals can see more patients in less time, optimizing their productivity. Healthcare providers can use telehealth to conduct virtual visits with patients, eliminating the need for time-consuming in-person appointments. Providers can also use telehealth to monitor patients remotely, which can reduce the need for frequent in-person follow-up visits.
And with the development of custom telehealth software, it can help healthcare providers double their efficiency because it is uniquely tailored to their specific needs and deliver better patient care by leveraging technology to streamline workflows, improve communication, and collect real-time patient data.
Conclusion
In conclusion, telehealth is a powerful tool that can significantly improve patient care. Telehealth can improve access to care, increase patient engagement, better manage chronic conditions, reduce healthcare costs, and improve provider collaboration. As telehealth continues to evolve, it has the potential to transform the healthcare landscape, making healthcare services more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective for patients around the world.
Arkenea is a telehealth software development firm that has been providing cutting-edge software solutions to its clients for over 12 years. If you’re seeking for telehealth application for your company, get in touch with Arkenea.