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Ever since our way of living was altered due to a global pandemic, many people have widely adopted telemedicine because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With people locked in their homes, telemedicine has become an easy and efficient way of accessing healthcare. The pandemic has changed many medical protocols, including patients not having to contact doctors for their diagnosis. According to Dr. Diego De La Mora, the chief health informatics officer at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, health professionals are increasingly adopting telemedicine to attend to patients’ needs, which haven’t stopped because of COVID 19.

As a telehealth coordinator at Texas Tech Physicians of clinics in El Paso, De La Mora has acknowledged the role of technology during this pandemic in limiting social contact and patients who aren’t comfortable going to the clinics. The clinics are still in operation for in-person visits where patients sit in an exam room with laptops that healthcare providers use to examine, communicate, and check symptoms. This enables doctors to handle patients who could be having the coronavirus without exposing themselves.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, there were close to zero telehealth visits by patients at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. Dr. Diego said that currently, the clinic has around 1000 telehealth visits each week. However, with the restrictions loosed up, more patients have begun to come to clinics in person, which has decreased the number of telehealth visits. An email response from the El Paso Inc. officials revealed that they had seen significant telemedicine use over the past few months, and approximately 80% of healthcare providers are currently equipped with telehealth technology.

The cost of telemedicine depends on insurance companies and what they cover. However, the technology is relatively cheaper as patients do not have to pay for building costs. Ourdoctor telemedicine company gives patients the ability to choose from various plans that can benefit just a single patient or their entire family. The technology has also proven effective for patients who want to avoid trips for in-person appointments and patients in rural communities who do not have access to hospitals.

The pandemic has been changing many individual’s minds about telemedicine. People who never would have tried telemedicine previously are now using it for the first time.

However, the benefits of telemedicine haven’t truly changed. It’s always been a convenient and safe option. The pandemic has just made those advantages more apparent. Ourdoctor telemedicine company gives patients the ability to see a doctor for minor health concerns and illnesses such as headaches, sore throats, and fevers.

Patients who’ve scheduled medical appointments in person have always had to plan those appointments carefully. The appointment itself might only last for 20 minutes. However, in practice, patients have to set aside much more time than that.

Individuals who live in remote areas could be hours away from the nearest doctor’s office. Doctors typically tell their patients to get to the office 15 minutes before the actual appointment starts. Patients spend several minutes in the waiting room, filling out various forms. They may contribute an additional 20 minutes waiting before being called back to the room.

Patients can also spend part of the appointment waiting for the doctor or nurse. The most productive part of the appointment itself might only last for 15 minutes. After the appointment, patients still have to drive back home. The patients who use telemedicine instead can complete the entire process at home.

People can schedule their telemedicine appointments online in advance. Scheduling may only take a few minutes to complete. The actual video call appointment might only take 20 minutes. Doctors are also less likely to keep patients waiting as some telemedicine companies such as Ourdoctor allow patients to see the next available physician eliminating waiting for a specific doctor. In practice, telemedicine allows doctors to spend more time with their patients.

Telemedicine video appointments are productive and straightforward. Doctors can make the most out of every session.
The risk of contracting viruses and illnesses from other patients is eliminated. Patients are practicing social distancing by staying at home telemedicine is contributing to everyone visiting safer and bringing the spread of Covid-19 to an end. Telemedicine is much more reliable, healthier, and more convenient.

Telemedicine was nice to have in the past but quickly became a necessity in the wake of the novel COVID-19, pandemic. With all leaders and medical practitioners calling for social distancing to halt the spread of the virus, telehealth emerged as the safest practical solution for delivering healthcare in the affected areas. However, things are getting back to normal, and while post-pandemic will be a relief for many in the healthcare industry, various things are bound to change. In the past, telemedicine was more of a perk that comes alongside primary healthcare services. Today, practitioners can charge for the service, which predicts a future where telemedicine is part of healthcare delivery.

The aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic calls for readjustments that include preparing healthcare facilities for the return of normal operations. For many, telemedicine will still be invaluable, at least until a vaccine is available for the virus. Even then, telemedicine is expected to take root in future healthcare provision. It involves delivering healthcare remotely over the telephone or internet services, such as web conferencing. Disease diagnosis, patient tracking, routine physical examinations, and conversational therapy can be delivered through telehealth, which is cost-effective and time-saving.

For healthcare practitioners, telemedicine provides a necessary tool that minimizes exposure to the virus. It also reduces traffic to the facility. Lending some operations to the online model also comes with the inherent benefits of the internet, ranging from convenience to efficient patient management. The model should allow easy updating of patient information and meet specific standards to ensure safe and seamless healthcare delivery. This calls for training and development of new tools that can facilitate the remote delivery of healthcare.

Telehealth already had massive support before the pandemic and is hardly novel in the industry. However, its necessity was highlighted by the virus, setting the stage to catapult telemedicine to mainstream healthcare provision. Many facilities will be keen to adapt their practices to the online model and incorporates telehealth, which can now be targeted for new income streams for the clinics and hospitals.

Telemedicine emerged as the safest approach to delivering health care in the wake of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Amidst calls for social distancing, the practice offered a reliable canvas for providing healthcare to those that need it while reducing new exposures to the virus. A recent survey also indicates that more practitioners are leaning towards telemedicine in the future. Up to 35% of healthcare workers plan to continue with the practice in the aftermath of the pandemic. For the 1300 physicians that took part in the online survey, 76% expressed concerns over establishing safe environments for their patients when operations are reopened.

All Healthcare Practitioners in Support of Telemedicine

The digital survey was available for healthcare practitioners in different fields, including dermatology, neurology, OB/GYN and pediatrics, oncology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, urology, and primary health care, among others. All practitioners seem to agree on the merits of telemedicine and its usefulness for short-term and long-term healthcare provision. Many believe telemedicine can help with acute disease diagnosis and tracking, chronic disease management, and related information. Telemedicine became invaluable early in 2020 as a way to facilitate healthcare amidst calls for social distancing and promise to demonstrate efficacy in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Adjusting the Healthcare System to Accommodate Telemedicine

Operations are resuming in various regions, and the task for healthcare providers remains to set up a safe environment for patients. For most practitioners, this implies coming up with a framework to identify jobs and services that can be easily lent to the online healthcare model. It is also crucial to retain all other measures to prevent new exposures until a vaccine is available. Oncologists, notably, identified the importance of training healthcare practitioners for the telemedicine field moving forward.

Summary

The merits of telemedicine are quite straightforward. However, there are various aspects to ensure the creation of a functional canvas and standards that can be used by practitioners across the world. If recent stats are anything to go by, telemedicine is set for longevity and could become part and parcel of healthcare provision.

Telehealth is a developing area in medical science. As online medical consultations and other remote-care programs continue to spread, they are more likely to shape healthcare delivery. This creates the need for incorporating telemedicine into medical school to ensure pharmacists, nurses, doctors, and other health care staff of tomorrow are well equipped. Ideally, exposure to studies on telehealth practices will benefit not only medical students but also other individuals in the industry.
Since telehealth is an evolving area in medicine, education must be introduced to inform students of the current practice and let medical providers get information for future training. In the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), such programs have been initiated and embedded within a few educational facilities, including its College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, College of Dental Medicine, among others. When you think about it, education on telemedicine is a low-stakes investment. There are very few programs or platforms that allow medical practitioners to share information with their patients in a value-added way and reduce general healthcare expenditures.
In a survey done in MUSC that consisted of telehealth program participants from the last five years, approximately 86% of the participants considered their abilities to use telemedicine as part of their jobs to be above average. They reported changes in their confidence related to areas of telehealth expertise. They also said that they were in a high position to explain various telehealth practices to their peers.
In the survey, the open-ended responses also revealed that participants gained knowledge beyond the technical skills involved. One answer, for instance, suggested that their focus on cross-practice or cross-disciplinary collaboration had greatly improved. Other responses revealed that programs on telemedicine had increased their awareness of possible new career opportunities. continued educational learning is one of the most important areas of learning for students across different sectors. Telemedicine is indeed the future of healthcare, and incorporating it in medical schools will significantly benefit.

The current coronavirus pandemic affecting the whole world has seen telemedicine rules eased. This is unlike before, where professionals in telehealth had to follow specific laws to legally help their patients and make a decent living from it. Former US representative, Rick Boucher, who is also the Internet Innovation Alliance’s honorary chair, suggests that “things need to remain as they are, even after the pandemic is over.”

Without strict laws on telehealth experts, there is a lot of flexibility. It is currently more comfortable for people to access the health services they need from wherever they are. Before, a patient had to physically visit a hospital or a clinic to talk to a specialist. Today, they can do it from the comfort of their homes using their smartphones or computers. This kind of communication between patients and health experts saves time and expenses. The patient does not have to fuel the car so that they can go and see the doctor. The doctors offering these services have also confirmed to be seeing more patients comfortably.

Now that telehealth rules have been abolished temporarily, all patients can access the medical care they need whether or not they are in a rural or urban setup. Before the pandemic, only patients in rural areas were allowed to get telemedicine. This limitation prohibited those in urban and suburban settings to access quality medical health electronically even if they had the finances needed.

Telehealth laws need to be reinstituted because telemedicine specialists are getting just as much money as regular doctors. In the past, telemedicine consultants have been reimbursed at a lower rate compared to their counterparts who were attending to patients physically. Undoubtedly, they are more motivated and committed to providing the best medical services they can. In earlier days, the rules stated that they had to work at a lower rate than that of doctors offering their services from a medical institution.
It is now clear that telehealth is more efficient without the Telemedicine rules on telemedicine consultants and patients.

Although video telemedicine was recently understood as a futuristic concept fraught with practical limitations and difficulties, virtual healthcare delivery is here. Telemedicine has especially become common in the realm of specialty, such as the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Traditionally, rheumatologists preferred in-person visits, but with the COVID-19 crisis and the precautionary measures that set in place, face-to-face healthcare may not be the best idea. Luckily, thanks to telehealth, rheumatologists can provide essential coverage to their patients.

Making a Telemedicine Appointment

With the current global health crisis, unless you or your loved one has to see a doctor. Take precautions and use Telemedicine whenever you can. To receive Telemedicine, you need an internet-enabled device such as a pc, smartphone, or tablet with a microphone, webcam, and internet connection. Unless you have symptoms that your doctor would like to investigate in person, you’ll probably be able to go through a successful consultation virtually.

The Importance of Staying Connected to Your Health Care Provider

If you are living with a rheumatologic health condition, you will understand the importance of having regular visits with your doctor. Whether in person or virtually, you need to stay connected with your rheumatologist. A recent pre-COVID-19 survey conducted to 500 creaky joint members indicated that almost 80 percent of the patients saw their doctor for treatments related to main health conditions, and 50 percent said that they have to go to the doctor every two or three months. While we are treading through unprecedented times, anyone living with a rheumatologic condition cannot afford to stay in touch with his or her health care specialist. These routine checkups are paramount to assess;

• How well a patient can carry out everyday activities.
•  Arthritis symptoms and the general well-being of the patient
• Address any concern about the daily management of the condition
• Discuss any blood-work, x-ray, or lab results and any progression of disease activity.
• Queries regarding medications and discuss any side effects

What Telemedicine Can’t Do

Parts of the treatment and routine care cannot conclude virtually. They include;

• Provide hands-on examination such as access swelling joints
• Give injections or infusions
• Take a blood sample for testing.

If you need a face-to-face visit to your doctor, you can rest assured your health care’s office is taking the WHO’s precautions to keep you safe from COVID-19.

The consequences of COVID-19 are noticeable in the day-to-day operations in the healthcare sector, and it is evident that telemedicine is at the epicenter of patient care. At its best, telemedicine is so far an efficient way for physicians to connect with patients, especially now that social distancing is necessary.

Besides reducing the ballooning health care cost, physicians use this new approach to manage time, provide online assessment, make appointments, consult with other hospital personnel, meet patients, and be next to kin. Nonetheless, this communication technology has downsides. For instance, there is a need to balance patient needs and the patient care provider’s availability. Currently, there is a risk over-straining the healthcare resources, especially when doctors must respond to patient’s needs 24-7.

A new communication channel that meets patient convenience and, consequently, limits doctors’ distractions are needed for telemedicine to succeed during the current pandemic and beyond. There is a need for a platform that meets the following essential criteria for telehealth to achieve:

• Patients and other health care providers must connect on a universal platform. Having one platform for all parties will minimize errors and unnecessary voluminous work.
• The platform should have a feature that allows the patient’s care team to communicate freely regardless of location, office, organization, and electronic health record source. Information for a particular doctor must flow swiftly without unnecessarily disturbing that doctor or colleagues.
• The telemedicine platform must minimize data overload and errors by allowing direct communication among caregivers.
• The platform must be patient-centered. It must allow customers to consent to medical procedures, access, and share information.
• The platform must prioritize patient needs as well as the doctor’s time and privacy.
• The platform should guarantee the privacy and integrity of patient data by securing a HIPAA-compliance certificate.
• It must have a feature allowing physicians to secure patients’ consent.

In a nutshell, there is a need for universal distraction-free communication technology to enhance practice management and communications in the healthcare sector during this viral pandemic and beyond.

In a time of restricted movement, going to hospital can be of significant risk. However, telemedicine is revolutionizing how patients can access care and medical help, as well as reduce the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It has made it possible for patients to take care of their mental and physical health without having to enter a doctor’s office. It is for this reason that you need to familiarize yourself with the available telemedicine options and utilize them well.

You can use telemedicine for typically anything, from diagnosing a physical illness like the sore throat to talking to a mental health care professional to get a prescription for birth control pills. It is important to note that telemedicine should not be, used for emergencies like a broken bone or a heart attack. Online medical appointments are just like standard office doctors’ appointments; expect you are speaking to your doctor through video conferencing. You can easily browse through your provider’s schedule and choose a convenient time.

Depending on your medical provider, you can use telemedicine for any consultation. Your doctor can send diagnostic images like X-rays and your entire medical history to your telemedicine doctor for review. Ideally, you can access various care options with telemedical services, including psychotherapy, primary care consultations, physical therapy, and some emergency services. If you live far from a medical facility and especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, you can save yourself the hustle by contacting your telemedicine health provider.

Virtual telemedicine appointments will reduce the time you need to take off work for a doctor’s office as can have it on phone or computer at work, home, or anywhere an internet connection is available. With all the benefits discussed, all you need to do is visit Ourdoctor.com to sign up and schedule your online virtual doctor’s visit. You can speak with a doctor in as little as two hours after signing up. Insurance is not required.