How easy it is to use telemedicine & What is telemedicine:
In primary care, phone chats are the most common type of telemedicine used when a patient has a non-life-threatening illness and wants to talk to their doctor about it. Telemedicine is not meant to replace in-person counseling. Instead, it is meant to add to it.
Telemedicine is important now because it cuts down on the need for patients and doctors to travel long distances for medical appointments and treatments. The price is much less than if you had to wait to see a doctor or other medical professional.
Telemedicine can also be used to answer very important calls that come in after hours. People with long-term illnesses like diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure can benefit a lot from its use as a monitoring tool. People who are generally healthy but need help with things like changing their dose, sticking to a new lifestyle plan, getting their medicines renewed, or finding a support group may find telemedicine helpful.
It is also possible to schedule telemedicine sessions after any necessary lab tests or checks of vital signs. In fact, doctors have been using telemedicine informally for many years. Even so, the growing use of broadband internet technology has made audio and video discussions less expensive and easier to use, making them a good alternative to the old way.
What is telemedicine Fundamentals:
In telemedicine, the doctor provides care from a hub that is connected to other network nodes. In the beginning, specialized videoconferencing equipment and customized diagnostic peripherals like stethoscopes and ECG monitors were needed. As directed by the remote doctor, the person taking care of the patient on-site would use diagnostic tools to find out important information about the patient.
In modern telemedicine, a desktop computer with a separate video card is the most common tool. Information can be kept safe on a computer, which is a benefit of using one. High-speed phone lines or satellite connections let the two places talk to each other.
Still, the patient is at the hub or starting point and gets the service from a remote location, often with the help of a telepresence.
In its broadest sense, telemedicine means using real-time, interactive telecommunications for health care in ways that aren’t usually done. This group includes “store-and-forward” services, in which pictures from a camera are saved and sent to a faraway consultant for evaluation. Even though there is no real-time interaction, treatment can still be done well. Telemedicine also includes remote monitoring.
What is telemedicine &How many benefits, such as:
For telemedicine, the only expensive equipment needed is a camera and a patient portal that gives the doctor secure access to the patient’s electronic medical records stored in the cloud. This technology not only lets the treating doctor save important medical information, but it also keeps the information shared during a telemedicine chat private. Aside from these tools, the doctor must also have a valid medical license from the same state where the patient will fill out their prescription.
People who like telemedicine point out that it saves time and money compared to traditional medical consultations and gives people better access to high-quality medical diagnosis and treatment. Also, because it is easy to find patient information online, patients may get more accurate prescriptions.
Telemedicine can improve the relationship between a doctor and a patient by making it easier and faster to get a second opinion. As a result, it leads to better health outcomes, which should be the ultimate goal of any healthcare system.
Many studies that directly compared telemedicine to other ways of taking care of patients have shown that it is definitely better to use telemedicine. The fields that benefited the most were teleradiology, telemental health, telecardiology (especially echocardiography), home telecare, and teledermatology. Several academics, on the other hand, think that there isn’t enough information about the pros and cons of telemedicine or how cost-effective it is, so more research is needed.