The Benefits of Telemedicine for Patients and Physicians
According to statistics, more than 75 percent of the population prefers remote health care over face-to-face services. Doctors and other health care professionals are also warming up to telemedicine as they are finding it generally beneficial to their practices.
So what are some of the benefits of telemedicine for patients and physicians? The listed above are top 5 telemedicine benefits that you should know.
1. Convenience
The main reason why people use telemedicine is for its convenience. It is actually one of the biggest benefits of telemedicine for doctors and patients. When getting your health care through video conferencing apps such as ezTalks Meetings, you don't need to spend time or money traveling. You simply need to turn on your computer and attend your appointment in the comfort of your home. In the same vein, you will not have to spend long hours in the waiting room.
2. Increases the profitability of health care
This is one of the major telemedicine benefits for physicians. With telemedicine, all hours spent on calls are billable. In addition, more patients are attracted to remote health care services, and this can expand your clientele. As a result, you will make more money through your practice. Doctors will also be able to work overtime with ease as they can always turn on their PCs, Mac or mobile phones to attend to their patients. As long as a doctor has a suitable video conferencing app, they can work from any place on the planet.
In general, telemedicine saves money for patients, and at the same time increases the returns for investors in the health sector.
3. Better health care
Many people are discouraged from going to the doctor because of the hassle involved. Remote health care is encouraging more people to consult their doctors on even the smallest of health complications. With these services, more people are constantly keeping in touch with their doctors, and are, therefore, improving their routines and lifestyles. People with addictions to drugs or poor eating habits will be encouraged to stick to healthier lifestyles if they are in constant communication with their doctors.
Telemedicine also helps people improve their attendance to doctor's appointments. All care schedules are likely to be adhered to if patients have access to telemedicine apps. This is because it takes much less planning and preparation. There is no transport involved and even no need to get out of bed. The result is that patients can take better care of themselves, and they even end up spending much less money on their health care.
Having remote access to your doctor will also allow you to report any early signs of disease that you may have. Some of these may not seem serious enough to warrant a physical visit to the doctor's office. However, turning on your PC or smartphone to teleconference with your doctor does not involve as much effort. It allows you to report any small signs of diseases that you may have.
As an extra benefit, remote health care reduces exposure to further diseases. Typically, patients have to spend long periods in the waiting room, and this space is shared with people who have all sorts of diseases. Anyone present in the waiting room might contract an illness just because of staying around sick people without necessary protection.
4. Allows patients to be more open with their physicians
One unexpected benefit of telemedicine to doctors and patients is the increased honesty in patients. Research has shown that people are more honest and open with their doctors if they operate from familiar surroundings. Telemedicine physically separates the patient from the doctor, and this further enhances confidence. All embarrassing information or questions can be asked with ease over a video conferencing program.
That way, the doctor is able to understand the patient’s condition perfectly and is better-placed to solve the problem.
5. Gives patients access to more physicians
People living in rural areas usually have access to fewer specialists. This is because health care services are concentrated in towns, cities and other urban centers. Telemedicine allows people living in rural areas to access necessary professionals for the different conditions they may have. Without remote services, such individuals would have to travel long distances just to see a doctor. It would even be worse if they had to see specialists in rare fields.
Telemedicine has also improved referrals to doctors. Your doctor does not need to consider your geographical location when referring you to a more experienced or specialized physician. Simply, that means you can access the best doctors in the world from the deepest rural areas.
Conclusion
Telemedicine is quickly transforming the health sector. It is growing to become the standard service in all hospitals and health institutions. This is because it offers great benefits to patients and physicians. Importantly, telemedicine increases convenience to patients and doctors. No one has to travel long distances for the services to be delivered. To enjoy the benefits of telemedicine, you will have to choose the most suitable video conferencing products such as ezTalks.