Telehealth, defined as where patients can consult a doctor through virtual meetings. Telehealth helps long-distance patients to contact, get advice, reminders, and remote admissions. Telehealth is cost-efficient as well as time-saving. It is most efficient for those who are living in remote areas. Telehealth makes health care more efficient, better coordinated, and make easier through online meetings.
The patients are now using telehealth facilities more. Data shows that percentage of people using telehealth facilities is increased from 22% to 80%. There are more than 260 telehealth companies. During the pandemic, telehealth facilities are a relief for those people living in remote areas. Telehealth provides a broader scope of remote health care services. Telehealthcare services need to expand with the growing population.
Introduction
Telehealth includes the delivery and facilitation of health-related services. Telehealth technology is in various formats, such as audio, video, and text to enhance the healthcare system. The importance of telehealth services has become vital in a pandemic as it removes the risk of exposure to the virus. Telehealth services are easy to access.
Telehealth is useful in various ways, such as:
- Provide advice on home treatment: Telehealth is organizing through online consultation so it provides the home treatment.
- Helps in monitoring blood sugar or blood pressure: it helps in monitoring health at home such as blood sugar blood pressure, etc.
- Preventive care services: Assure preventive care services for patients.
- It provides medical services to remote areas: Telehealth provides medical services through online consultation for people living in remote areas.
- Diagnose cold, headache, any other health issue: Telehealth services help in diagnose cold, headache, and many other health issues, if a patient is not in an emergency to get admission in a hospital.
- Reduces travel time: Telehealth services reduce time travel and saves time for the patient, as it can be done while sitting in the living room.
- Decreased costs: Most of the time, telehealth appointments are less expensive.
- Safe for patients and staff: It ensures safety for staff and patients.
- Improves the quality of health care: Telehealth is especially beneficial for people who are living in rural areas, who have fewer health care facilities.
- Shortage of medical staff: Shortage of medical staff will not affect health care services now by using telehealth application
- Patient awareness: Telehealth increases patient awareness
- Advancements in telecommunication: Advancements have made telecommunication easier
Health Insurance Policy
Telehealth or online consultation is cover under health insurance policies. An insurer has asked to allow claim settlement for online consultation. Many hospitals have started offering nursing services at the homes of patients to maintain the pandemic. This move by the insurance regulator will beneficial for such policyholders. The health policies that cover consultations through physical meetings should also start to include consultations over telehealth or online consultations.
Telehealth needs to go hand in hand with health insurance. Development in this direction is expected, ensuring that health insurance regulations do not have any specific limitation under medical policies to telehealth. Private insurance companies should also consider using this same criterion. Some insurance providers use third-party companies to manage telehealth functions. Some private health insurance providers have their own telehealth rules. However, you can choose a health insurance plan which is going to be beneficial for you.
Conclusion
Teledoc plans are all about how people access and experience their healthcare facilities through online consultation. Telehealth needs to be implemented carefully and managed well. It is best for in-home treatment through online consultation, and telehealth is covered under a health insurance policy. So, insurance providers should offer more policies for making telehealth more beneficial for patients.
