healthcare costs • Telehealth • patient outreach • remote healthcare • 3 min read • Nov 19, 2013 12:00:00 AM • Written by: Brad Ranks
One morning, Bob wakes up with a sore throat, congestion, nausea and dizziness. Suspecting he has something more severe than a cold, going to work seems far-fetched. However, he can’t get an appointment with his primary care physician until later in the week. To make matters worse, he lives 45 minutes outside of town and going to an urgent care would take up half of his day. What should he do?
As a medical provider, E-healthcare expands your normal treatment radius to encompass patients living in remote locations. A few years ago, most people would avoid the drive time and wait out their sickness. Of course, some people get better on their own, but many ailments worsen without medical attention. Furthermore, most working parents do not have time to stay at home with a sick child, waiting for their symptoms to improve. Thankfully, telemedicine offers a solution for people with commuting or time-constraint dilemmas; medical providers can virtually reach these patients at their homes.
In addition to location issues, many other serious concerns can be addressed with the expansive use of telemedicine:
How can we provide improved care for the aging population? One of the most common reasons elderly patients request visits with MeMD is for prescription refills. E-healthcare enables elderly patients to avoid driving long distances for such issues; instead, they spend 20 minutes talking to a medical provider who assesses their condition, and electronically transmits a prescription to a pharmacy that is convenient for the patient.
How can we combat increasing healthcare costs? Healthcare insurance has been the subject of debate in the U.S. for many years, and will most likely continue to remain problematic for parts of the population. Most telemedicine companies offer a flat fee-for-service, which makes obtaining medical care less difficult and expensive.
What about the shortage of physicians and resources? Patients using telemedicine are not subjected to the long wait times at Emergency Departments or urgent care clinics. On average, patients are seen within 30 minutes of requesting a visit on MeMD, and are given the time and attention they need, without the hassle that has become all to familiar in clinic settings.
How can advanced technology be used in direct patient care? The Internet is a ubiquitous, necessary part of our everyday lives. Secure cloud-based, HIPAA-compliant platforms enable patients to connect with medical providers without worrying about a lack of confidentiality during their consultations. Provider documentation can also be easily integrated with clinic EMRs, making the transition to E-healthcare seamless and stress-free.
Accessible healthcare and medical attention for everyone – what’s not to like?
