Technology has taken over almost every aspect of our lives and the healthcare sector has not been excluded from it. The combination of medicine and technology is invaluable in terms of saving time and lives. The telemedicine technology involves using technology along with telecommunication, so a patient might communicate with the doctor virtually.
Given the current health crisis faced by the world concerning COVID-19, we can finally understand how important Telemedicine is. The importance of remote delivery of healthcare services is highlighted during these times. This might make you think that Telemedicine is a new concept but it is quite the opposite. The development of Telemedicine can be traced back to about 40 years, with the rapid evolution in the last decade.
Telemedicine Definition
Telemedicine simply means providing medical services without the need to have an in-person visit with the doctor. A patient can be evaluated, diagnosed and treated by the doctor via a telemedicine application. Typically patients can access telemedicine services through an application on their phone, from the comfort of their home. They can communicate with the physician through text or even video calling. Both the patient and doctor can easily communicate with each other while effectively saving time.
Telemedicine Benefits
As you can tell using a Telemedicine application is extremely beneficial in several ways. It is an effective way of resolving minor or non-urgent ailments without having to visit the doctor, this, in turn, means saving on time as well as travel expenses. Telemedicine is especially useful when the patient is away from home, in another city or country even. Their preferred doctor will always be only a click of a button away.
The benefits of Telemedicine are not just applicable to the patients but to the doctors as well. With the ability to directly contact the patient and give appointment reminders, doctors don’t have to worry about cancellations or no-shows. Keeping tabs on the health of the patient also becomes more convenient.
Telemedicine proves to be a blessing in various ways for healthcare providers as well as the people. Being able to share medical services quickly and efficiently will directly reflect the well-being of the patients.