WHAT IS TELEMEDICINE AND HOW DOES IT WORK
Medicine and technology have been connected for years now. You can examine health conditions and symptoms online, and you can get almost anything delivered to your home, such as prescriptions, supplements, and so on. To see your doctor for a checkup or consultation, however, you must go to their office, sit, and wait until your turn comes. Now, with the help of telemedicine, you can make things comfortable at your place.Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services over a long distance. It is a tool that makes healthcare more accessible, cost-effective, and also increases patient engagement.
WHAT IS TELEMEDICINE?
Telemedicine is a broad word that encompasses all of the ways you and your doctor can interact via technology while not physically present in the same room. Phone conversations, video chats, emails, and text messages are all included. Telemedicine is also known as telehealth, digital medicine, e-health, and m-health. It allows physicians to evaluate and treat patients without having to see them in person. It helps to save costs by providing clinical care via live video conferencing. It enables clinicians to treat patients whenever and wherever they are required, utilizing a computer or smartphone.
If your doctor provides you with the option of telemedicine on request, here are a few circumstances where it can be quite beneficial:
- Medical care when you are away from home
- Limited transportation
- Live far from the clinic
- Medical prescriptions for emergency use
- Post-treatment check-ins and follow-ups
- Inquiries for home treatments on various medical issues
TYPES OF TELEMEDICINE SERVICES
Telemedicine is used in a variety of ways to help patients. As we all know, telemedicine is a method of using telecommunications to link patients and physicians who are separated by distance. Telemedicine may be classified into three types:INTERACTIVE MEDICINE
Interactive telemedicine, also known as live telemedicine, allows patients and doctors to communicate in real-time while being compliant with HIPAA rules.
STORE AND FORWARD
This method allows providers to share patient information with another provider, resulting in fewer duplicate tests and instances of poor medication management.
REMOTE MEDICINE
Providers monitor their patients from the comfort of their own homes. Medical devices can send vital signs and other information allowing for treatment changes.
HOW DO TELEMEDICINE SERVICES WORK?
Telemedicine is simple to use. Telemedicine services employ a toll-free phone number or an online account. The patient may request a visit and provide basic information about their health, following which the physician accepts, refuses, or reschedules the appointment. Telemedicine services are available in a variety of formats, but the two most common are:PATIENT PORTAL
You can use this to send and receive emails from your doctor or nurse, as well as request medication refills and schedule visits. Your doctor can also tell you about your lab findings and explain what they signify. This method is typically faster than calling your doctor and waiting for a response.
VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS
Telemedicine assistance is not available from every doctor. Some doctors will allow you to schedule an appointment over the phone or through video conference. These sorts of calls or meetings are common when dealing with mental and behavioral health experts, as well as urgent care clinics.
