Pros and Cons of Telehealth Which is Booming in a Pandemic World

COVID-19 has shaped the global health market as patients’ right to meet doctors in person has been restricted. Consumers have switched to the use of telehealth — long-distance health care through wireless communications. Due to consumers’ adoption, the market has skyrocketed and is expected to grow up to 175.5 billion US dollars by 2026.

The changes have affected all the market players. According to the McKinsey survey, 76 percent of patients are now interested in using the teleservices compared to 11 percent in 2019. The same survey states that 64 percent of health providers are more widely using it while over 80 new services have been approved. Even small local clinics introduce new practices and attract patients.

Telehealth vs Telemedicine: Is There Any Difference?

In general, two terms from the domain of distant medical services are used as synonyms. However, there’s a difference between them which is important for business owners. Telemedicine defines distant clinical services only while telehealth includes a wider scope of remote health maintenance services.

The remote healthcare industry growth is accompanied by certain challenges. If you consider upgrading your business, it should be taken seriously. This post gives an idea of the pros and cons of telehealth to make your decision about introducing new services more informed.

Benefits of Telehealth

Inflow of Patients

Wireless connections make the system of healthcare accessible for a larger number of patients. Inhabitants of remote areas can reach the needed specialists by means of telehealth. The Coronavirus has made the flow of patients bigger since even people rejecting remote consultations have to rely on it.

For medical institutions and private practitioners, it’s a real opportunity to increase the pool of clients and improve the relations with the existing ones. Mobile apps, video calls, and client management systems substitute in-person visits. This is particularly relevant for advisories, patient monitoring, preventive care, and education connections.

Cost-Effectiveness for Providers and Clients

Telehealth systems eliminate the waste of time waiting as well as commuting expenses. It means that patients pay only for the time the doctors work with them while doctors are concentrated on consulting and are safe from no-shows. It entails the reduction of operating costs.

At the same time, online consultations are usually less expensive than offline ones. A virtual visit can cost four times less than a traditional one. Apart from certain limitations of the online mode, it happens because practitioners don’t have travel expenses and don’t use medical facilities such as offices or medical accessories but help due to their professionalism.

No Spread of Disease

Telemedicine services let the infected people stay isolated while reserving the right for medical consultation and assistance. The outbreak of COVID-19 has shown how extremely important it is to stay home and stop the spread of germs.

However, telemedicine is a good solution not only for contagious patients but for non-infected ones. While keeping self-isolation they don’t have to miss planned appointments. Online consultations serve as a suitable replacement. All of us want to live normal lives, after all.

Better Patient Engagement

If a patient had questions about therapy or drugs, he or she would undertake efforts to make an appointment, to find time in a tight schedule, to commute, to wait in the admissions office. Combined with high prices, this kind of a quest discourages patients from frequent contact with medical institutions.

In the case of telemedicine, patients and doctors can connect quickly and discuss any issue. It prevents unnecessary actions, saves time and nerves. Patients can get follow-ups without leaving their comfortable homes. Now they need only several taps to contact medical specialists who can give them current instructions that reinforces commitment to a medical brand.

Challenges of Telemedicine

Limited Examinations

Doctors can only observe what patients show them during video conferences. Sometimes it’s not enough to make the right diagnosis without palpation or a more careful look. It’s needless to say about the impossibility of remote first aid in case of severe injuries.

Anyway, the list of online medical services is still long. Moreover, the telehealth development is moving towards augmented reality and we may expect more medical manipulations possible online in the near future.

Unavailability for the Patients Without Internet and Smart Devices

Some kind of consultations can be conducted by telephone calls, of course. Nonetheless, practitioners can’t hold detailed examinations without video conferencing and Internet connection. Some people, especially the older generation, refuse using smartphones. Others can’t purchase a new model with good video quality.

Time and progress will change the situation. Humans adapt not only to the environment but social and technological shifts.

Regulatory Barriers

Telemedicine standards vary from country to country or from state to state. Medicine specialists have difficulties in monitoring and meeting the standards. It’s difficult for specialists from other regions to get access to the data due to the differences in legislation systems.

Since telemedicine is a young industry, much remains to be done. International cooperation between medical institutions and governments is the key. Nevertheless, the problem of legislation barriers isn’t so pressing at the local level and many patients receive telehealth care.

Software Providers

The market is flooded with developers but health-related projects are an area of increased responsibility. Therefore, the selection process should be tougher. It’s not like every freelancer can handle such a project. We at Fively clearly understand the level of responsibility and carefully consider all project requirements.

Telemedicine is a great alternative to brick-and-mortar medical institutions during the pandemic and after it. Some offline manipulations are irreplaceable though in general, this solution saves finances, time, and provides strong on-demand connections between doctors and patients. The merits and opportunities of telemedicine make it hard to disregard it.

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