Telehealth is revolutionizing the healthcare industry through technology-driven innovations that allow us to reimagine house calls without the need for doctors to travel. The idea of virtual consultation has been around for several years, and telemedicine has been deployed across various specialties from primary to even specialist patient care.
Telehealth is allowing medical professionals to broaden their reach and treat patients wherever there is an internet connection and a device that can facilitate the consultation. In the past, traditional telehealth platforms would typically involve high overhead costs for purchasing kiosks or sophisticated technology that was not as accessible and too expensive.
Today, telehealth applications can conveniently allow you to deliver care to your patients using your laptop or smartphone. Telemedicine no longer requires massive upfront overhead costs, and they have become available as part of monthly subscription packages that are secure and HIPAA-compliant without being too expensive for the medical practice.
Additionally, telemedicine also offers substantial benefits for your patients. Improving your patient’s experience of getting necessary medical care through your practice can help your practice grow.
7 Advantages of Telemedicine for Patients
We are going to take a closer look at how telemedicine can provide advantages for your patients, so they can receive proper medical care through your practice.
If you are still considering adopting telemedicine services for your practices, understanding the advantages of telemedicine for patients can help you get a better picture of why patients might be more willing to get virtual consultations with your medical practice through telemedicine.
1. No transportation time or expenses
Virtual consultations through telemedicine mean that your patients will no longer have to spend a lot of time traveling to and from your clinic. It saves them the time and the hassle of traveling. Additionally, it can make care delivery more financially reasonable by cutting down the cost of gas, parking, or using public transportation.
2. No need to take time off of work
Telemedicine can also eliminate the need for your patients to take time off of work. Depending on your availability and your patient’s availability, you can schedule the consultation with them. They can even get the consultation while they are at work by going anywhere there is sufficient privacy. Your patients might appreciate being able to comply with the treatment and follow-up instructions without missing a day of work.
3. No more child or elder care problems
Many patients are often unable to make it to appointments and follow-up consultations because they are caring for older adults or children at home, and they cannot make alternative arrangements on time. Bringing the people that they are responsible to care for to the practice might be impractical or stressful. Telemedicine can solve this problem by allowing your patients to see you without family responsibilities becoming an obstacle.
4. Better accessibility to healthcare professionals
Some patients who live in remote locations have to drive a long distance and invest a lot of time for each visit when they need specialist care. Telemedicine allows your medical practice to give your patients access to specialist care who are not nearby through videoconference. This can be very helpful if your patient does not need urgent medical attention but needs access to an experienced specialist in your medical practice.
5. Low chances of exposure to new illnesses
Where is the one place where you can be sure to find a lot of sick people? As a doctor, you already know that the doctor’s office can become a hub. While all medical practices do their best to ensure that no patient catches something from another, it is always possible, especially in crowded waiting rooms. By catering to most (if not all) of your patients while they stay at home, you can significantly reduce patient exposure to any new illnesses and decrease their chances of spreading their illnesses to someone else.
6. No more time in the waiting room
One of the most common problems that patients face with traditional medical practices is the lengthy amount of time they need to spend in waiting rooms. Unfortunately, many patients who do not have the patience to wait around until they get their turn to see the doctor might prefer going to retail clinics that can see them immediately. By offering telemedicine services, you can improve your patient’s experience of receiving medical care from your practice by eliminating their waiting time.
7. Better patient outcome
Telemedicine makes getting the right medical care significantly more accessible for patients. It also creates an open communication line between patients and doctors, allowing you to deliver care proactively. With the convenience of virtual consultations, it is less likely that your patients will miss any follow-up appointments, resulting in better patient outcomes.
Final Thoughts
Telehealth cannot completely replace in-person visits with patients, but it can significantly reduce the number of patients that you have to consult on-site.
Given the advantages for patients, it is no surprise that an increasing number of people are seeking out healthcare providers that offer the convenience and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine.
Telehealth is changing the entire healthcare landscape and making life easier for patients and medical professionals.
Adopting telemedicine services as part of your practice can also let you reduce overhead costs, improve organizational efficiency, and even improve your bottom line by providing your practice with another revenue stream.
If you are looking for a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform that can help you adopt telehealth services as part of your practice, simply request a demo to learn how we can help.
