There is a new use for video conferencing technology that can help save lives. Just as easily as you may video chat with your friends or loved ones in different cities or even states, health professionals are using telecommunications technology to provide medical support to patients and health professionals remotely.
What is Telehealth and Telemedicine
Telehealth uses telecommunication technology such as remote networking and video conferencing software to facilitate health related activities such as health education and training, administrative operations or patient care. Telemedicine is a category of teleheatlth which is only focused patient care. Health professionals remotely monitor, diagnose, and treat patients. There is an estimated 200 telemedicine networks connected to over 3,000 sites in the United States.
Advantages of Telemedicine
Telehealth and telemedicine benefits the patient by providing them quick consultations with health professionals. The cost of telemedicine consultations can also be less than an in-person visit. Patients are able to bypass admissions procedures while being able to stay in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Teleheatlh technologies are able to increase the availability to healthcare for patients who are not in close proximity to healthcare professionals. Your health insurance company may even be able to cover the costs, 22 states mandate that telehealth visits be reimbursed the same as in-person visits.
Reception of Telemedicine Video Conferencing
Although remote technology is improving everyday some physicians are still resistant to telehealth technology and the telemedicine platform, citing that during the process of a remote consultation certain health clues may be missed during sessions or that the technology may fail. But remote consultation can also be to the benefit of physicians as well, with many states facing clinical shortages, telemedicine doctors can be a solution for meeting medical demand by treating more patients effectively. Patients seem to be responding well. When comparing patients who booked psychiatric appoints through telemedicine as opposed to in-person, telepsychiatry appointments were kept on average 15% more. Regardless of apprehensions, the United States telehealth industry is growing. Certain projections are showing an estimated market value of $1.9 billion dollars by the year 2018.
