Teleconsultations or telemedicine is a medical consultation that takes place through the use of medical devices such as video conferences and messages. This allows patients to contact any health professional without traveling to a physical facility.
Teleconsultations have been on the rise due to their easy accessibility and how they save patients time and money from excessive travel. This only grew in popularity due to the sudden COVID-19 Pandemic. Both patients and healthcare providers need a video call away to save both sides time and energy in meeting physically.
Teleconsults: A Game Changer for Healthcare Access
The communication and versatility teleconsult services offer have made many changes within the healthcare system. It provides patients various options they cannot do in a physical facility. This includes:
Accessibility to healthcare services
Patients have access to more than one healthcare service with a few clicks away, giving them more option range and choices depending on their cases and concerns.
Reduced waiting times for appointments
The system provides reservation dates for patients to consult with online doctors, saving them from wasting time traveling to physical hospitals and wasting hours waiting in long lines.
Convenience for patients and healthcare providers
This system provides convenience to patients and healthcare professionals by saving unnecessary activities that physical facilities normally ask (e.g., filling up a form and providing documents) and discussing everything just a video conference away.
Cost-effectiveness of teleconsults
Systems that apply teleconsultations within their system minimize excessive costs that are not needed, resulting in more cost-efficient spending within consultations and medication.
Improved quality of care
Teleconsultations are time-efficient and focused on providing straight and comprehensible diagnoses and advice patients can understand.
Better patient outcomes
Teleconsultations have provided many services to patients during and after the pandemic. Having a convenient use made patients appreciate the application of teleconsult communications.
Reduction in hospital readmissions
Teleconsultations help minimize hospital overcrowded admissions by focusing on minor to medium-level cases that don’t require patients to travel.
Teleconsults in Primary and Specialty Care
Teleconsultation can be helpful for patients who live in remote or rural areas, have mobility issues, or have difficulty accessing transportation. Its direct service and easy communication requirements reduce the need for patients to travel to a physical location and potentially reduce healthcare costs.
There were some challenges with teleconsults during its application. Most of the concerns lean on the doctor’s lack of performing needed physical examinations for more accurate diagnosis as well as other doctors and patients who prefer physical consultations for better communication matters.
Teleconsultations may have had some limits and issues in the past. Still, because of the service it provides to the community, patients started to see more into the application, how it helped patients through the pandemic and the risks it posed to the masses.
In some primary cases, teleconsultations would give physical hospitals many rooms and advantages to focusing entirely on cases requiring special care, such as life-threatening illnesses and severe injuries.
Teleconsults and Telemedicine Regulations
Because of how widespread and easily accessible teleconsultation has become, policies and regulations have been erected for teleconsultation services.
Healthcare providers who are using these services must be licensed and registered. The system they use must also be approved for telemedicine practices. The system will also need permission requirements and consent added in order for patients to learn and permit their personal information.
Future of Teleconsults in Healthcare
The implementation of teleconsultation in healthcare services has rapidly expanded with positive outcomes. Its sudden rise is due to the pandemic's contribution that made many physical restrictions.
These services helped people who needed some advice without risking physical travel to hospitals and facilities for a short discussion with the doctor, as well as many patients who have a lot of factors and location limitations that minimize their chances to physically travel and access these facilities.
Teleconsultation has helped patients nationwide for the better. With further technological updates and innovations in the upcoming years, teleconsult services will be able to follow this trend and improve further.
Want to consult with our online doctors right now? Reserve an appointment with our online doctors here at E-Konsulta Medical Clinic.