Telemedicine is presently a revolution in the healthcare industry. According to the studies, there will be approximately 8 to 9 million active users of telemedicine by the year 2021. It is fascinating to watch how technology has evolved and improved health outcomes. Digital technology has made it accessible for healthcare professionals to communicate with their patients. This tears down the barriers that can restrict a patient’s access to medical care.
Through the help of live video, audio, and instant messaging, patients can now interact with healthcare providers from the comfort of their homes. It is particularly beneficial for those who live in rural neighborhoods. They frequently need to travel long distances to visit their doctor’s office or see a specialist. Telemedicine is capable of providing a variety of unlimited online teletherapy services just at your fingertips.
Almost everyone has experienced the convenience of a telehealth visit by now. With the current circumstance of the coronavirus outbreak, many patients are looking for alternatives. Virtual video visits are the most suitable option for visits to the hospital.
But until now, it has become a debatable topic whether to go for telehealth service or follow the traditional practice that is an in-person visit. Many acknowledge the fact that telemedicine saves money, provides clinical knowledge, brings care to the underlying availability of the best doctors online, and even boosts the economy. But some get bothered about the quality of the virtual visit that the services are barely as good as an in-person visit.
Here we provide you some of the benefits and challenges to select the better option:
Benefits of an in-person visit compared with telehealth
Traditional practices give you the liberty to conduct a physical exam of the patient. It is the most preferred way to see a doctor, as it gives you satisfaction by physical examination, which is a more effective way to diagnose and treat health conditions.
Traditional methods of patient-doctor bonding also play an important role. When patients visit the doctor’s clinics, they make a personal connection with staff and healthcare providers. This personal connection plays an eminent role in the overall satisfaction of the patient.
However, the telehealth visit also has its benefits like comfort and convenience, unlimited online teletherapy services, availability of physicians 24/7, services of best doctors online. Telemedicine provides high-quality virtual services which are accessible from the comfort of your own home. Telemedicine is not only an easily accessible service but is affordable too. In comparison to traditional practices, where hospital charges for making and canceling an appointment. It has various wide applications. It provides numerous unlimited online teletherapy services.
The challenges of an in-person visit compared with telehealth
Nevertheless, personal visits are a more preferable way to go for a health checkup. It has its challenges like Longer waiting time and expensive diagnosis.
The queue is the most common problem in in-person visits, patients have to wait for their turn for the health checkup, although having an appointment. Sometimes it gets most frustrating for the patient, waiting for your doctor to diagnose you. The next most concerning part is the Expensive diagnosis, In-person appointments can be more costly than online appointments. Studies estimated that patients save approximately $100 on an average telehealth visit, with $75 of that devoted to health care costs and the other $25 to travel and time spent seeking care.
Although, telehealth also has its challenges firstly, Limited services and assessment. Online doctors treat only a certain number of diseases. As in some conditions, it requires a proper one on one visit. It is the major concern for telemedicine, but overcoming this difficulty gives telemedicine an upper hand over traditional practice. Secondly, dependency on digital technology, As telemedicine services are dependent on digital communication technologies, both doctors and patients need to have a proper knowledge of technology to connect. Sometimes technical failure forces you to go for an in-person visit
Conclusion
Telemedicine is the new future of health services. It requires some recognition and advancement to cope up with the needs of today’s generation. However, the only issue regarding telemedicine is that they are unable to examine a patient physically. Adding some solid solution will make it a likely option. Availability of unlimited online teletherapy services and 24/7 availability of best doctor online services make it a more convenient option to go for.
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