Telemedicine during COVID-19 : Benefits & Limitations

With the outbreak of COVID-19, telemedicine has come into the spotlight. It is one of the most emerging fields these days.

During this pandemic, telehealth has made a very positive contribution to healthcare. It is bridging the gap between the patients & physicians, enabling everyone to stay at home & communicate through the virtual channel, reducing the spread of virus among the masses.

Telemedicine Telemedicine

Telemedicine is the use of a digital platform that involves online diagnosis & treatment of people through voice calls, video-calls, and various other electronic mediums. The process starts after the person registers himself. After that the diagnosis is done by the doctor on a video call & e-prescription is provided. It helps in bringing the doctor & patients together more effectively.

 

Let’s have a look at the benefits of the Telemedicine -

  • Convenient & accessible
Telemedicine has not just broken the geographical barriers, but has made the entire healthcare delivery model more convenient to the patients.
  • Cost-effective
By reducing the problems like medication non-adherence, unnecessary ER visits, and making typical doctor visits more efficient, telemedicine has the power of cutting the cost on healthcare.
  • Increasing engagements
It helps in increasing the engagement by allowing the patients to connect with their doctor more frequently, in a convenient way. This means now they can interact more and build a strong doctor patient relationship.
  • Better quality
Use of remote patient monitoring systems helps in maintaining a better quality, that leads to better quality outcomes.

 

Let’s see what are the limitations of Telemedicine & how hospitals are adapting to it -

  • It requires technical training & various equipment’s
Telemedicine platforms that are used between primary doctors and consulting specialists require extensive training and the purchase of a telemedicine cart and various other mobile health devices.
  • It reduces the interpersonal contact
Telemedicine interactions are impersonal & some people argue that it does not help in full diagnosis & face to face interactions are much more valuable & necessary.
  • Reimbursements are difficult
Telemedicine reimbursements can be difficult as compared to the normal ones. It can be because of the changing policies. One of the best ways to navigate the reimbursement is to call up your top payers and ask their policies.

 

It has been accepted that telemedicine is here to stay & continue the future healthcare practices. It will promote the safe, effective & efficient telehealth services in the healthcare sector. We at 24/7 Medical Billing Services provide telehealth & telemedicine services. If you need any assistance, you can contact us! We are there to help you round the clock.

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