Technology is positively affecting the world more than we know. Technology is shaping every industry. The medical sector is, therefore, not an exception. Through technological advancements, the future of healthcare is brighter. Telemedicine is one of the positive changes in medicine. So, what exactly is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the use of electronic communication, such as video calling, teleconferencing, and image sharing. Telemedicine is bringing a new face to the healthcare industry.
Doctors can urgently address patients’ concerns.
Gone are days when patients had to travel to hospitals to consult doctors. Currently, urgent problems can be handled at home through telemedicine. Some of these concerns need urgent and quick responses. Thus, delays are consequential to the patient. Telemedicine allows the patient to receive explanations and tutorials from healthcare providers at the comfort of their home.
Patients access valuable information.
Hospital visits limit the information that patients receive since they rely on the doctors’ advice. Additionally, patients have to wait for long periods to get an appointment with the doctor. The use of telemedicine has eased the process. Patients do have to wait for results since tests and scans can be directly sent to patients. Further, through video conferencing, doctors can provide detailed explanations to the patients.
Telemedicine increases efficiency
In hospitals, the Intensive Care Unit is one of the stressful areas. This is because the patients are at high risk and are very delicate. The doctors and nurses in this sector have to be alert always. Due to the heavy workload, human error occurs. To avoid these errors, there is a branch of telemedicine known as tele-ICU. This branch acts as the second pair of eyes for ICU workers. Through tele-ICU, patients are effectively monitored. Moreover, through telemedicine, doctor and nurse notes are easily accessible for future reference.
Immobile patients do not have to visit hospitals.
It is often a challenge to get a bedridden patient to a health facility for consultations. Ambulances, on the other hand, are undeniably expensive. This makes transporting an immobile patient for regular checkups unpractical. Telemedicine provides such patients with convenient methods of consultation. Through video calls, the doctor can assess the progress of the patient. Nonetheless, the patient can only be taken to the hospital during severe cases.
When appropriately used, telemedicine will have positive effects on the healthcare industry. Thus, healthcare facilities need to expand the use of telemedicine to serve clients better.