What is TeleHealth?

What are telemedicine and what is telehealth care? Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services and other information through electronic media and telephone technology.

It enables long distance patient care, clinician contact, information, reminders, education, instruction, monitoring, medical exchange, remote patient admissions, and medical treatment.

The increasing availability of expanded services such as prescription drug plans and insurance company reimbursements has made it economical and convenient for patients to receive the most effective medical care in a timely fashion.

Telemedicine is particularly beneficial to rural or isolated communities that might not otherwise have access to quality health care services.

It empowers those who may be living in or close to nowhere with the ability to see a specialist in a relatively short period of time.

This teletherapy service is becoming more prevalent in various settings such as public schools, colleges, prisons, and military bases.

Although some individuals may still experience the inconvenience of having to travel a great distance to see a specialist, there are others who can now make regular appointments at their own home or office via telemedicine.

The increasing availability of Internet and cell phone technology has made it possible for virtually everyone to use this resource.

The Benefits of TeleHealth For Doctors and Nurses

The benefits of telehealth for doctors and nurses are many, but one of the biggest reasons that this technology is so useful to physicians and healthcare providers is the ability to save time.

No longer do patients have to make appointments or choose which physician they prefer in order to receive healthcare – on-demand right from the comfort of their own home.

This flexibility for patients has led to an increase in patient visits and overall wellness – and with a telehealth platform, doctors and other medical professionals can ensure that their patients get the best care possible.

The Internet & Social Media influence on Online TeleHealth Services

The Internet is one of the many technologies that has greatly enhanced telehealth. In fact, it has advanced the way in which we communicate about our health conditions.

When we talk about our health, we speak about our symptoms and the things that we can do to improve them.

However, when talking about a serious illness, we often refer to a specialist who will conduct tests and provide treatment.

With the help of the Internet, providers, hospitals and other health care providers can share information with one another about their patients and about the latest treatments and medications available.

All of this makes communication between the provider and the patient much simpler, which translate into happier patients.

The Advantages and Benefits of TeleMedicine

Another advantage of the Internet is that it allows telehealth practitioners and other health care experts to access electronic patient records. These electronic medical records (EMR) provide a ready source of information for physicians and other health care specialists.

For example, an EMR from a health care provider may contain vital signs data, medical history, lab tests, imaging reports, diagnostic test results, prescriptions, progress notes, hospital admissions and more, all of which can greatly simplify communications between the health care provider and patient.

As mentioned earlier, telephonic communications also allow health specialists and other caregivers to contact their patients even if they are out of the office. In addition, EMR systems can also allow for “stop by” visits by phone.

Telemedicine and electronic information exchange can greatly reduce the amount of time that patients spend in waiting rooms or receiving routine care from a doctor or specialist. This translates directly into fewer patient encounters and lower healthcare expenses.

While many individuals are unaware of what is telehealth, the concept is becoming more widely known in the United States. As a result, there are now several different types of telemedicine options available.

One type is remote patient monitoring. Remote patient monitoring enables health professionals such as nurses and doctors to utilize specialized equipment that allows them to view a patient’s vital signs, medication, history, and more via a computer.

The key benefit to using this type of telemedicine is that it allows a health care professional to access critical information with only the click of a mouse.

In some instances, physicians may be able to download and upload important information to a portable personal digital assistant (PDA), which then allows them to remotely monitor the patient.

Remote Patient Monitoring

The second type of telehealth service is teleconsulting. Teleconsulting, like remote patient monitoring, allows health professionals like nurses and doctors to use specialized equipment that enables them to view a patient’s vital signs, medication, history, and more via a computer.

However, there is one major difference between these two types of teleworking: whereas patients can see their doctor via VASER, a telehealth specialist cannot.

This is because a telecommuter only has one platform from which to view the patient’s information, whereas a VASER can send multiple images to multiple specialists.

In addition to allowing doctors to access patient outcomes across multiple locations, teleconsulting also allows for more convenient scheduling.

Although the term “telehealth” refers to various telecommunications technologies, the most common application is providing healthcare to those who cannot receive healthcare in person.

Telemedicine is quickly becoming a popular way of delivering healthcare to this demographic. Both innovative and traditional healthcare professionals are making the switch to telemedicine in order to improve patient care. If you are a healthcare professional looking to implement this technology in your workplace, contact a professional who will explain the benefits of telemedicine to you.

Telehealth Vs Telemedicine

Telemedicine and telehealth have come to the forefront of healthcare in recent years, but what exactly is the difference between these two terms?

According to the Merriam-Websters Online dictionary, telehealth is “the application of modern technology for providing healthcare services such as patient care, preventive health education and health management.”

On the other hand, telemedicine is a “set of interrelated technologies, including telecommunications, electronic medical records and patient/doctor information systems.”

In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between telemedicine and telehealth.

Let’s begin by examining telehealth. Many providers use telemedicine to reduce traditional hospital stays, which can be time intensive and cost effective.

Telemedicine allows a doctor or hospital administrator to use computerized tools to communicate with a patient, from just a phone call to e-mail or instant message.

For example, a patient may be scheduled for an on-site visit with a minimally invasive back pain surgeon following a foot accident, but if the patient were to schedule a follow-up appointment with the same surgeon at an out-of-network facility, there would be no way for the back pain surgeon to get that information without using telemedicine. Telemedicine has revolutionized postoperative care in many ways, such as providing the surgeon with a more complete picture of a patient’s condition from the very beginning.

The other major benefit of telemedicine is its use of electronic medical records, or EMRs. EMRs allow the back pain surgeon to see past and present medical history of a patient, allowing them to plan future treatments.

EMRs also allow for better quality patient care because, unlike discussing medications with a client one-on-one, a minimally neurosurgery team can exchange EMRs immediately.

Both of these benefits translate into greater patient satisfaction, higher levels of patient education and improved patient care.

Does Insurance Cover Telehealth Care?

A new trend in telemedicine is the question of whether or not medical treatments for a patient who is ill are covered by insurance when it is determined that the patient has used more than one health insurance provider.

Although there are currently no federal or state laws that regulate this matter, many health insurance companies have stated that they will cover telemedicine treatments if a patient uses an in-network provider.

This may be a controversial topic for the foreseeable future, but for now the general consensus is that almost all health insurance providers offer coverage in at least some situations when a patient is referred to an out-of-network provider through a third party portal such as a web portal or IVR.

HIPAA Requirements For Telehealth

The HIPAA Requirements for Telecare is the next generation of protecting the private personal health information of patients.

The HIPAA Requirements for Telehealth will address the concerns about patient privacy and provide a higher level of security to healthcare providers who utilize computerized patient records (CPR) for their patients’ health care needs.

In addition, the National Institute of Health has concluded that telemedicine will reduce the healthcare costs by 20 percent.

According to a September 2021 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors using computerized tomography for prostate cancer detection and staging found that fewer than one percent of patients undergoing such screenings had some concerns about the quality of the images or the information provided by the tests.

Telemedicine benefits both patients and healthcare providers by reducing missed patient visits, improving collaboration between professionals, and ensuring the comprehensive care needed by the patient.

Features of a Telehealth App

A telehealth app is now a must for patients of health care centers across the country. It is the most convenient way for them to schedule appointments and see doctors, and even makes it easier to organize schedules to fit everyone’s needs.

Rather than just accepting the first doctor they find, patients can look up a list of doctors who have a phone number they can call on the spot and set up an appointment with them right then and there.

This allows everyone to be on the same page at all times, instead of people having to call multiple different offices looking for the same information.

A telehealth app has several key features that allow patients to be treated more efficiently by their healthcare providers.

One of the best features is the convenience of having your schedule available immediately.

No matter what time of day you need to see a doctor, you will be able to view it online and easily determine which doctors are open for your convenience.

The second feature to consider is the ease with which you can contact your medical provider if you have any questions or concerns.

You can do this through a number of different ways, whether through the app, a toll-free phone number, or even your regular phone.

Telemedicine has been used by healthcare providers for years, but it is only recently that many patients have embraced this concept with as much enthusiasm as they have done in the last few years.

With telehealth apps, patients can have real-time communication with their healthcare providers, saving them valuable time that could be spent actually getting the care they need.

No matter what office you work in, there are several different kinds of teleconferencing software available that allows you to keep in touch with your patients at all times.

If you use the real-time conferencing feature of the app wisely, you will not even notice it is there – until you want to speak to someone, and you are in the waiting room.