Do you think telemedicine is one of those fancy applications that has come into existence after the whole pandemic gaga has spread? You’re mistaken, then. Telemedicine has been the core of practising medicine in the field of the heathcare industry for years.
The time has changed, so has the thinking of the people around the world. Now the importance of care “On-Time” is on priority than care “Over-Time”. Telemedicine had not seen its success story until the Covid-Era began. This type of technological transformation involves remote health-related services such as monitoring, advice and education between the doctors and the patients. This “Revolution” promises to change patient experience and care by minimizing waiting time and optimizing the on-time service.
As fancy as it may sound, the reality is quite different. Only a handful of countries and communities of doctors have adapted to the technological generations. A stand-alone study confirms that 82% of the consumers/patients hesitate to use such services. This contradicts many other reviews stating that people and doctors consider it “the need of the hour” in the diploma-ting position. Hence the sooner one enters the market, the sooner they will realise the benefits it will add to their practice.
Are you a doctor who wants to be a part of the telemedicine app platform?
or
Want to know how to start a telehealth business or what are the best telemedicine startups? Then this article is for you.
In this article, you will know the need for the mhealth app and why telemedicine app development is a need for the hour.
Let’s get started!
Telemedicine- The ready-made option
“Telehealth or Telemedicine can become a bridging gap between patients and healthcare servants, enabling everyone to stay at home and communicate with patients through virtual channels, helping to reduce the spread of the bacteria and virus”, says Bill Siwicki, a healthcare worker.
While telemedicine isn’t the need to replace face-to-face consultations, but an emergency and more favourable option for both ends of the consumers. Here is why.
1. Maintains the safe distancing
In this age of the COVID pandemic, social distancing is viewed as a critical advance in leaving the spread of the infection speechless. A survey by Gallup tracked down that 72% of adults in the US say they will currently stay away from public spots like cafés and stores.
64% of the respondents said that they would “for the most part” isolate themselves, and the rate could go simply high if not followed properly.
Telemedicine could become a perfect solution for now and ever to help tide the wave of crisis and prevent further expansion.
2. Reaching people beyond the boundaries.
Convenience is the utmost priority of the patients, especially when “they are” ill, and doctors choose to provide service at their doorstep, irrespective of the location. It can be easier to fit in the busy schedule for the doctors and the patients too. -With telemedicine, doctors could reach patients living miles away and beyond their reach.
Having a broad geographical reach is thus a definitive positive point in telemedicine, a very strong reason to invest in the field.
3.Reducing your patient waiting time
Waiting time could be frustrating for patients, and it shows off in their satisfaction score feedback. Waiting time counts for the patients waiting outside the clinic for their turn and the time they spend booking an appointment, which all sums up the total time.
While waiting time does count for the patients waiting for the doctor consultation, it also includes the time the patient spends booking an appointment, which adds up to the real-time.
In 2017, Merritt Hawkins did a survey in which they tracked down that in 15 huge U.S Metros, an individual needed to stand by 24.1 days before he could book a meeting with a specialist. By and large, “new patients” go through 2.7 weeks in the wake of requiring their first arrangement.
4. Giving you an extra edge over other competitors
In a highly competitive healthcare environment, telemedicine can help your clinic stand out among its competitors. As per a report from business insider intelligence in 2018, an estimated seven million telehealth users worldwide and three-fourth of US companies provide telemedicine as a part of their healthcare plan.
75% of the people polled admitted that they were willing to attend a doctor’s appointment remotely. For practitioners and other physicians, telemedicine allows the opportunity to compete with other colleagues on a larger border, which would not otherwise have been in their reach.
5. Help save your’s and your patient’s time
Not only does it save “patients” time, but it also gives a huge benefit to doctors and provides an enormous amount of extra time. Doctors can also use telemedicine apps while waiting for other patients to arrive, during free time, when not at the clinic, and many such unexpected circumstances that could otherwise let go of your patient.
An investigation spanning over twenty years, directed by the University of California Davis, found that the adoption of telemedicine saved a patient almost four hours of driving time and $156 in travelling costs.
6. Reduce your investment cost
One of the most critical aspects of the telehealth facility is its ability to automate the administration work. This does not mean that it would be replacing human power. Still, it would instead provide the non-clinical staff a better plan and time for patient care and safety.
A study done in 2019 estimates that the NHS could practically save an estimate of £12.5 billion a year in staff costs through automation and the care industry.
7. Easier access to a medical specialist
Not many patients have a relationship with their doctors whom they can call and visit at any time of the day or when in need, so having a telemedicine app helps doctors to have a more comprehensive approach as patients have round-the-clock access to all kinds of specialists, without an appointment, at any time in need.
8.Reduce overhead expense
Setting up a home telemedicine practice also implies that the doctors can leave their practice early, implying they don’t need to pay for utilities or other costs brought about by keeping the clinic open.
On the off chance that the supporting staff is paid hourly, the doctors can get a good deal on their finances by investing less time in the workplace.
9.Improves patient satisfaction
While many things come in the way while a patient visits a doctor, telemedicine could precisely filter almost all of it. Transportation is one of them. It can be challenging to get time off from work, exclude time from parenting or other responsibilities, which is difficult to offload. Considering all of these activities and hurdles, when a patient opts for the digitalised version of consultancy, things can become much easier for them, leading to better patient satisfaction and improving your services.
10. No need to take time off a busy schedule
Speaking of work, video consultation largely removes the need to take time off. You can schedule your visit during a break, before or after work. You can be anywhere that offers sufficient privacy. As a doctor, you might not be able to rely entirely over a video call for consultation, but as and when you get time, you can do an online visit.
11. Real-time monitoring
With all the advancements in telemedicine, there has been an increase in the scope of remote health monitoring too. If the existing medical surveys are reliable, it is completely possible to treat patients requiring primary treatment in cardiac arrest, asthma, and heart failure over a telemedicine app.
This application of mhealth has made it very easy for people of the small and rural areas where high technology healthcare providers and clinics are not available.
Below is the list of the telemedicine applications for healthcare, with highest rating by user and provider.
The bottom line
Telemedicine has been in the industry for decades. Still, the importance has only come to notice since the pandemic has surged. It can surely not take the place of face-to-face consultations. But, it could be a valuable addition to patient care and safety.
Change is difficult, but it is not as challenging as it may seem in the case of telehealth. These are the solutions offering easy-to-use and integrated platform scheduling. Waiting for the right time will not only leave you behind but will cost you money.
Leveraged appropriately, telehealth holds a wealth of potential cost savings and quality improvement. As the benefits of telehealth become more apparent in the wake of broader adoption by both providers and patients, forward-thinking physicians will embrace this shift and get ahead of it.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing to fear about is fear itself” So if fear is holding you back from exploring a new era of innovations now, then it is the time to be brave-for the patients and you.
