Be Aware of Telehealth Challenges and Opportunities

 

Before COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of this convenient, efficient, and effective delivery model, telehealth had been redefining healthcare for years. Providers and patients who are still hesitant to use telehealth may be unaware of its numerous workflow and outcome benefits.

Telehealth refers to the use of telecommunication technology such as computers and mobile devices to support virtual care, patient health education, healthcare administration, and public health initiatives. Rapid adoption has revealed the benefits and challenges of telehealth for healthcare professionals of all specialties.

Advantages for providers

Though the benefits to patients may appear to be more prominent, medical providers have been enjoying the following benefits of telehealth for years:

1. Enhanced access to care

Call centers and nurse advice lines have highlighted the most immediate telehealth benefits and challenges; by 2020, benefits will have far outweighed the challenges. It is critical to be able to treat minor COVID symptoms while the patient is comfortable and safe at home. Many patients have been wary of facilities and avoided provider waiting rooms throughout the pandemic, so distanced diagnosis and prescription are a welcome relief.

2. Increased patient engagement

Customers expect the same level of service from their healthcare providers as they do from their shoes and dinner. Online reviews, appointment bookings, and digital reminders encourage patients to participate in their care while relieving providers of mundane tasks that divert their attention away from patient care.

It lowers the risk of exposure as well as the anxiety associated with office visits. It also shortens wait times, allowing providers to treat and engage with more patients daily.

3. Improved patient outcomes

A significant improvement in outcomes is one of the most exciting benefits of telehealth for providers. Chronic condition care is an ideal fit for telehealth. Remote patient monitoring technology has helped to meet the challenges of monitoring diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, as well as musculoskeletal and behavioral health.

However, one of the most significant advantages of virtual care is its ability to protect patients who are predisposed to COVID complications. The logistical challenges that some providers continue to cite seem less pressing when compared to the way it limits virus exposure. 

4. Cost-cutting measures

One of the most well-studied benefits of telehealth is cost savings. When you implement telehealth in your hospital or clinic, you will reduce your overhead and more efficiently distribute resources. You'll also make your service hours more flexible, increasing clinician motivation and productivity while decreasing stress for both patients and clinicians.

Benefits for patients

Patients may perceive the benefits and challenges of telehealth differently than clinicians, but they fully benefit from the following.

1. Better results

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality discovered that telehealth clinical outcomes are on par with or better than traditional on-site care outcomes. Chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, COPD, and diabetes benefited the most from telehealth because remote monitoring kept patients informed of warning signs.

2. Availability and accessibility

When behavioral therapy and psychotherapy were delivered on the patient's terms, mental healthcare improved as well. One of the advantages of virtual care is that its immediacy, accessibility, and consistency in monitoring help to prevent risky behavior while also improving patients' perceptions of providing support and inspiring trust.

3. Less complication

The agency also discovered that 21 studies found that using remote ICUs resulted in significantly lower mortality rates—and in some cases, lower complications.

Patient Telehealth Challenges

Telehealth, like so many other digital technologies, raises concerns about patient data security and privacy. To address these telehealth challenges, patients must be vigilant and educate themselves on the security measures available.

1. Security precautions

Early in the pandemic, it became clear that Zoom, for example, did not meet HIPAA security standards. While Zoom has made some security improvements, patients still require that their providers use encrypted, password-protected platforms. To reap the benefits of virtual care, a lot of attention must be paid to the front end, as well as consistent maintenance of security measures.

Patients, like clinicians, require education and training on data-privacy measures when accessing their wifi network for a telehealth visit.

2. Awareness

Patients frequently struggle with telehealth issues due to ignorance or lack of understanding. They might never ask for the option if they are unaware that it is available. Word of mouth spreads quickly during a pandemic, so it's likely that as social isolation policies are relaxed, more patients will be asking for it—or at the very least, inquiring about it.