When the term Telehealth was first put out to the public one envisioned a doctor making a video/skype-type of call to a patient and giving advice in this manner. And one wouldn’t have been far off the beaten path.
But Telehealth has evolved and many don’t realize what it all entails. The health care industry is stepping out of the waiting room area and broadening their scope when it comes to video chat based communication and more importantly how patients receive healthcare services.
Many a wasted hour is spent waiting for doctors, when a lot of the time, the assessment, and even the diagnosis can be sorted out via a video link.
REAL-TIME TELEHEALTH – DOMESTIC CONSULTATIONS
Synchronous Telehealth is what we mostly think about when we think of connecting virtually to a healthcare professional.
- The video platform allows the practitioner and the patient to see each other, chat and gives the doctor a way to diagnose a condition without actually going to the patient or the patient going to them.
- The patient can send photos and videos of their visible affliction so that the doctor can see, without being in their presence, what the issue could be.
The Real-Time Telehealth manner of working extends past just video conferencing. Here is where you can make appointments, pay your accounts, send personal messages to the doctor, and receive answers back via the app, as well as rate the doctor’s level of service and ability.
By utilizing this means to care for patients, doctors are making better use of their time, giving on-the-go care and helping their patients find a balance between their home, work and social life.
REAL-TIME TELEHEALTH – INTERNATIONAL AND SPECIALIST CONSULTATIONS
- Much as the previous scenario, the Synchronous style of Telehealth allows laypersons to make contact with specialists in a particular field and find out if they are the right person to speak to.
- Further, when that specialist is overseas, they can still connect and diagnose a problem via video conferencing.
STORE-AND-FORWARD TELEHEALTH
- Asynchronous, or store-and-forward Telehealth is when healthcare professionals are able to store the records of their patients and share the information with other practitioners and specialists, as needed. Data storage can include video conference calls, such as those used in a real-time Telehealth, laboratory results, photo images, medical records, x-rays and much more. The platform is built so that practitioners signed up to it can access the data with the patient’s permission.
- It’s a secure and fast way to share data that may normally take a long time to get from one healthcare professional to another. When it comes to life and death situations, time is critical in accessing important and vital health information.
Specialty services, such as:
- Teleophthalmology
- Teledermatology
- Teledentistry
- and Teleradiology,
are good examples of where this store-and-forward method works best. Due to this type of technology, the time delays are shorted, the healthcare is more accessible and results for continued healthcare treatments are sped up.
REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING
- Telemonitoring is geared to track a patient’s health status, in particular, their vital signs. This way the doctor or surgeon can be constantly connected to the patient and be able to see for any warning signs or change in their health. The apparatus can be, in some cases, worn on the person allowing them to be mobile. When needed they can video the client to get an accurate portrayal of the situation before making a prognosis.
MOBILE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
- This mobile style of Telehealth can act as a constant reminder for patients and practitioners alike for scheduled appointments, medication to be taken, diet, weight loss tips and general health advice.
- Multiple Doctor and Specialist Video Conferencing:
When more than one specialist is required to ascertain a patient’s situation, and they are spread across the world, the video conference call option makes absolute sense. One doctor could be with the patient and the others at various locations. This method lessens travel costs and unnecessary spend.
Learn more – 10 Simple Ways Healthchat Helps Patients
