Check out how technology can enhance your health care.
Many people say that the internet has changed modern life, but many times have you heard that? It has transformed the way you communicate with family and friends, buy goods and services, or even research health issues.
Telehealth technologies were available to help you manage your health care and get the services you need. Why don’t you take advantage of their goodwill?
What is a telemedicine program?
It is the use of computers and mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to access and control health care services from a distance. Technology that you use at home, or that your doctor utilises to improve or enhance health care services, may fall under this category.
Consider how telehealth may assist you if you have diabetes, for example. Following are a few options you have:
You may input meal records, prescription dosages, and blood sugar levels through a mobile phone or another device, and a nurse will react to you via email.
People who reside in rural or remote areas should have easier access to medical treatment.
People with restricted mobility, time, or shipment alternatives should be able to access services more .
Ensure patients have easy access to medical experts.
Improve patient-provider coordination and connection of health care services.
Access to the patient’s portal
An online patient portal may be available at your family doctor’s office. These portals provides A safe alternative to email, which may be used to exchange confidential medical information. The following can be done more using a portal:
Speak to a doctor or a nurse about your concerns.
Request a refill on your medication.
Analyse test results and prior visits’ summary.
Request appointment reminders or set up a meeting time.
The portal may serve as a single point of contact for any experts you encounter within a vast health care system.
Meetings can be held through the internet.
You may be able to meet with a doctor or nurse through meetings at some clinics. When an in-person visit is not needed or practicable, these appointments allow you to continue receiving treatment from your usual doctor.
Internet “visits” with a doctor or nurse practitioner are available. In most cases, these services are akin to those offered in a walk-in clinic. Certain big corporations as part of healthcare offerings offer Virtual physicians’ offices.
To use an online service, you must answer a series of questions. As part of the physician or nurse practitioner’s role, they can prescribe medicine, provide home care, or propose other medical services.
A nursing call centre, on the other hand, employs nurses to answer patients’ questions about how to take care of themselves at home. Unlike a doctor’s office, a nurse’s call centre cannot diagnose or prescribe medication.
Despite the convenience of these services, there are certain drawbacks:
Your doctor may not be involved in your treatment.
Your medical history won’t be taken into account.
If you have a complicated medical history, using a laptop decision-making model may not be the best option.
Because there is no in-person audit during the virtual visit, an accurate diagnosis may be hampered.
The program doesn’t make it easy for doctors and patients to collaborate on treatment plans or devise a second option if the first one fails.
Monitoring from afar
Your doctor or medical team can keep tabs on your health from afar using a range of technologies. Among them are the following:
Apps for transferring data, such as blood glucose measurements, to your physician or health care team through the Internet or mobile devices.
Blood pressure, glucose, and lung function may be monitored wirelessly.
Information including heart rate, blood glucose, movement, and posture are recorded and sent via wearable devices.
Detected falls among elderly or dementia patients being watched at home.
A group of physicians chatting with each other
Technology may also be used by doctors to improve the quality of treatment they deliver to their patients.A video consultation might assist your primary care provider understand your diagnosis or treatment.
In addition to the patient’s exam notes, the primary care physician transmits relevant photographs and test results. Depending on the state, the expert may respond through email, video conference, or in-person.
Virtual meetings can reduce in-person referrals to specialists, reduce professional input wait times, and reduce travel.
Records of one’s own health care
It is an electronic personal health record system (PHR) that you administer and maintain. Any web-enabled device, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, may be used to access a PHR app.
A spate of applications have been developed to help consumers maintain track of their medical information. These digital tools may help you:
Apps for self-care in the healthcare field
A spate of applications have been developed to help consumers maintain track of their medical information. These digital tools may help you:
Maintain a record of your medical history.
Document the results of any necessary measurements of the body’s vital signs.
Make a log of your daily calorie consumption.
Medication reminders.
Keep track of your everyday physical activity by, for example, recording your step count.
Telemedicine has a lot of potential.
A better quality of care and more convenience can be achieved via the use of technology. By bringing health care closer to patients’ homes, telehealth can enhance quality, convenience, and cost.
Telehealth research is in its infancy, but it’s gaining traction. Several studies have shown that patients with heart failure benefit from telephone-based help and remote monitoring of vital signs.
Conclusion
Telehealth can improve care coordination, but it has the potential to split health care. For example, a patient’s treatment may be fragmented, resulting in unneeded or overlapping care.
Paying capacity may limit the benefits of telehealth services. Refunds for telehealth services vary from state to state and from kind of insurance to insurance type. Another concern is that lack of regional internet availability or expensive cost of mobile devices may deter people from seeking greater access to healthcare.