Telemedicine, telehealth, virtual care, and m-health are all similar terms used to denote medical care delivered from a distance. Doctors provide their medical services using technology like video conferencing and phone calls, compared to traditional face-to-face appointments. This is neither a new concept nor an unknown one. Telemedicine platform has been practiced since there was phone service, and doctors have been giving consultations via phone. It later developed into video conferencing as technology evolved, giving doctors more access to information to make better diagnoses and give better medical advice.
However, with the advent of mobile phones and the plethora of options, like tracking heartbeat, pressure, and other vitals via wearables, virtual care took a whole new turn, making it as efficient as traditional consultations, maybe even more efficient and accurate. While telehealth was an option people could choose, the COVID pandemic brought it to the forefront, forcing people to choose it and recognize its immense benefits. This article looks at the 10 various benefits telemedicine has in virtual healthcare.
What is Telemedicine App & Virtual Healthcare?
Telemedicine and virtual healthcare are similar in that both involve imparting healthcare services without the doctor or patient being present at the same place. Let us take a look at both to understand how they differ.
Telemedicine means medical practitioners can provide medical advice without meeting the patient in person. They may examine medical reports transmitted electronically or visual aspects of the condition via video conferencing. Audio and messaging are also used in the process. Doctors can work from their offices, while patients can be in the comfort of their homes. It can be accessed through their mobile, tablet, or computer and is effective in managing chronic conditions, common illnesses, or even follow-up. There is a lot of telemedicine that can cover.
On the other hand, virtual care refers to a comprehensive concept that includes the way healthcare provides interaction with patients. It may be consultation with a doctor, follow-up calls from medical staff, post-operative guidance and monitoring, pharmaceutical services, laboratory services, etc. All of these are enabled by digital tools like apps developed by telemedicine app development services.
Top Ten Benefits of Telemedicine App
1. No Need for Commutes and Long Waits
Traditional consultation with a doctor requires reaching the doctor’s office and waiting in line, among others, for your turn. Patients cannot easily commute to the doctor’s office with their discomfort. They may be physically unfit, and there are expenses involved. Waiting at the doctor’s office with others also poses the risk of communicable diseases spreading.
2. Save Expenses
With telemedicine, there are a lot of expenses saved for the patient as well as the doctor. As for the patient, the expenses of traveling from their home, taking leave from work, finding replacements or babysitters, and car parking. All these lead to additional expenses on top of the doctor’s fees. Unexpected delays may happen on the way or at the doctor’s office. All of these inconveniences and expenses are taken care of with telemedicine.
3. More Efficient Appointments
Telemedicine makes the whole deal of making appointments a lot more efficient than it was before. For instance, making an appointment with telemedicine means finding an open slot for the doctor you prefer from your telemedicine app. You can also cancel appointments within that time. There is also the means to keep the appointment even if you are too unwell, as you can consult from the comfort of your home. Hence, appointments are better kept and more efficient.
4. Account for the Physical Health of the Patient
One of the major aspects overlooked in traditional appointments is the patient’s physical health. They may be sick to the bone with a high fever and unable to afford to call a doctor home. Even in such uncomfortable cases, patients must drag themselves to the doctor’s office to get a medical consultation. With telemedicine, they can do this from home and keep the appointment even if they are too unwell.
5. Better Access to Healthcare
One of the stellar reasons why telemedicine is such a hit is that it makes healthcare accessible to people. Instances, where the doctor you wanted to meet was too far away, were no longer an issue. With telemedicine, you can see doctors miles apart, no matter how remote you are, making healthcare more accessible to all.
6. Maintain Social Distance
Social distance was crucial during the COVID pandemic and brought to our attention how important it was in every other setting. It helped reduce the spread of communicable diseases, the common cold, or COVID. Telemedicine ensures social distancing from other patients as well as the doctor.
7. Access to Specialised Care
With telemedicine, another major advantage is access to specialized doctors. There might not be a doctor with a particular specialization in your nearby hospitals. You can save traveling for a consultation and instead choose to do it virtually, saving you money and time.
8. Beat Social Stigma:
People may avoid seeking medical help due to fear of social stigma. For instance, mental illnesses are widespread, but getting medical attention is not as easy as many social obstacles are yet to change. Telemedicine gives you privacy and security in such instances.
9. Better Medical Adherence
Telemedicine allows doctors, healthcare providers, and patients to keep in touch more. Patients may fall back on medications and the treatment may not be successful. With telemedicine, healthcare providers can check up on patients, prompt them to adhere to their regimens, and take better care of themselves.
10. Shorter Hospital Stay
Patients need not stay longer at the hospital when they need rest. If the observation required is minimal, the patients can be discharged to their homes, and healthcare providers can monitor them from afar. This makes the healing process more comfortable.
The fundamental of telemedicine apps has been around for a long time. Find out the top 10 reasons – why you need to develop a Telemedicine app.
Telemedicine App is a Necessity, not an Option. Why?
Telemedicine has become so popular, especially during the COVID pandemic, that it can no longer be considered an option instead that doctors can consider, rather a necessity for every medical facility to keep up with the demands of the changing times as well as for the many benefits we have listed above.
The COVID pandemic saw a sharp rise in the usage of telemedicine services. McKinsey.com says the study proved the rise in usage up to a staggering 38 times that before in April 2020. This spike was up to 32%, stabilizing at 13-17%.
Hospitals and clinics actively opt for telehealth services using advanced technology and software. The quality and features of a telemedicine application depend entirely on the expertise of the telemedicine app developers. You must choose the best telemedicine app development company to build your custom telemedicine app. Their expertise, experience, and access to resources determine the success of your venture into virtual healthcare.
With the success of telemedicine services in the last two years, the Indian government is sparing no means to develop Telemedicine further. Here you can find what did the Union Budget say about Telemedicine and Digital Health?
Why Choose EMed HealhtTech as Your Telemedicine App Development Partner?
EMed HealthTech is a custom healthcare software development company, that has developed successful telemedicine apps and websites. With over 560+ satisfied clients, they have built an impressive portfolio that proves their merit. Choose EMed HealthTech to know excellence first-hand. Reach out today to get a free estimate.
