Benefits of Telemedicine and Its Post-Pandemic Future
Telemedicine, the ability for patients to have doctor’s appointments remotely via secure internet connections, existed before the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. However, telehealth services saw more widespread use during the pandemic to protect patients from exposure to the virus, especially those who were more susceptible to complications. Now that the pandemic in the United States seems to be dwindling as more people get vaccinated, 88% of patients say that they want telehealth services for non urgent health matters to continue even when it is safe to go back to the doctor’s office. Here are some benefits of telemedicine that have made it so popular.
Increased Access
Telemedicine exists and is practical because of technological advancements including the python formatter. As a result, it is now available from just about any electronic device equipped with a camera and microphone, including phones, tablets, and laptops. As long as you can connect to the internet, you can have a telemedicine appointment. This makes it more accessible for people in under served urban areas and rural regions where people might otherwise have to travel long distances to see a doctor. This can be particularly helpful if the doctor is a specialist in a more obscure branch of medicine. Because cash-pay telemedicine is frequently offered by online companies, it is also more accessible to people who lack health insurance.
Lower Costs
Another way that telemedicine makes health care more accessible to people who do not have insurance is because the appointments are usually less expensive compared to in-person visits. This makes it easier for everyone, whether insured or not, to access care while keeping out-of-pocket costs down.
Doctors reap the financial benefits as well because telemedicine eliminates the need for front desk help and other office costs. This helps to cut the facility’s overhead.
Reduced Exposure
While vaccinations have rendered COVID-19 a considerably less serious threat, it is still out there along with a lot of other infectious diseases. Because many pathogens are airborne, and because doctor’s offices tend to bring lots of sick people together, an in-person doctor’s appointment may put you at risk of catching colds, flu, and other infectious diseases. Even if not serious, these diseases can have a significant temporary effect on your life. By having consultations for nonurgent matters via telemedicine, patients can protect themselves from disease-causing pathogens.
More Convenience
Telemedicine allows you to have a doctor’s appointment wherever you want. In many cases, the services are available 24 hours a day. This means that you do not need to take time off work or arrange care for your children while you go to the doctor. You can arrange an appointment at a time that is convenient for you and have your evaluation from the comfort of your own home.
Less Anxiety
Some people have phobias or other psychological conditions that cause anxiety when they go to the doctor. Even in the absence of such conditions, an evaluation by a doctor can cause a lot of stress. Because telemedicine services are accessible from home, they can result in a less stressful experience that may be more productive as a result.
Family Involvement
When you use telemedicine, you have the option to authorize a family member who lives far away from you into the virtual visit. This person can then help you and the doctor communicate more effectively by asking questions and providing additional information. Of course, because of privacy laws, it is only with your permission that the virtual visit can involve someone else.
Psychiatric Support
One of the cruel ironies of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it contributed to mental health issues, e.g., isolation and anxiety, while making it more difficult to seek help in the one-on-one or group settings common for psychiatric therapy. Telemedicine services make therapy groups and one-on-one psychiatric support more accessible, even on an emergent basis.
Prior to the pandemic, there were hurdles that prevented telemedicine from being used to its fullest potential. In response to the pandemic, the federal government removed many of those hurdles. Now that telemedicine has seen widespread implementation as a matter of necessity, it should be easier to continue it and expand its applications further.
