Telehealth Types You Should Consider for Your Healthcare Business

 

The telehealth market rose with the 2019 pandemic and has skyrocketed ever since. It is estimated to reach $460 billion by 2030.

In times of untapped revenue streams, Telehealth is making a healthy dent. 

This article will differentiate between telehealth and telemedicine and elaborate on types of telehealth to consider for your practice.  

Introduction to Telehealth  

The healthcare industry might be the last to endure technology, but once it has, it's ready to reap the pleasures. Although healthcare professionals have been using internet technologies to transmit files or communicate information in emergencies or staff unavailability, Telehealth has never been utilized to its prime soul until Covid-19.  

As per the JAMA survey, conducted in 2021 by RAND corporation, among 2000 US adults, 66% preferred virtual visits over in-person.  

“Telehealth: The delivery of health care, health education, and health information services via remote technologies. Read about telehealth technologies, services, and reimbursement issues” 

        NEJM Catalyst

Telehealth vs Telemedicine 

Oxford dictionary defines Telemedicine as “the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology”.

 are often used interchangeably, telehealth encompasses way more than telemedicine.

Telemedicine – delivers healthcare facilities to remote patients. For example, a radiologist may read scans for a patient in another state in the absence of a physical expert.

Telehealth – is a blanket term that arrays beyond treating a remote patient. It includes physician-to-physician conference calls, or staff evaluation of patient vital sign over a monitor, all using telecommunications technologies.

Goals of Telehealth  

1. Safely delivering healthcare to remote areas.
2. Make services approachable for chronic or terminally ill patients, who have mobility issues.
3. Offer expert advice and access to other medical professionals.
4. Self-management advise for patients, to increase patient engagement. 
5. Team coordination for enhanced and attuned care delivery.  

Types of Telehealth  

Despite the ease of telehealth services, healthcare businesses must not disregard the importance of data security. Always choose telehealth providers that are HIPPA compliant and have software encryption policies.  

M-health / Mobile Health 

Mobile devices are owned by every American, so mobile-delivered health can be leveraged to broaden the healthcare approach. mHealth is the use of applications on smartphones and laptops to: 

1. Set medicine & appointment reminders. 
2. Track health measurements. 
3. Deliver health-related data to clinicians.
4. Contact healthcare professionals.

Some examples of such applications are:

1. smoking cessation apps. 
2. weight monitoring apps. 
3. diabetes and cardiac monitoring apps, etc. 

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Video and Audio Technologies 

Care delivery is enhanced when given a physical touch. Viewing your patients is as important in medicine as conversing with them via telephone. Many physiological signs are monitored while video remote checkups.  

Therefore, video and audio technologies play a key role in delivering healthcare. In the past, doctors had video conferencing with military patients, inmates, and rurally located remote patients. Post-Covid, telehealth modalities have been exploited to improve health services which have enchanted patients with near in-person experience.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) 

Although RPM and telehealth are closely related, it is now considered as separate service that involves the use of FDA approved devices. Data is recorded on the device and delivered to the physician’s clinic in real time.  

Store and Forward Technologies 

Patient care delivery often involves reviewing follow-up tests or at-the-time signs checking. For this, secure routers and encrypted store and forward technology are utilized. Store and forward technology mean capturing, storing, and sending medical information for asynchronous healthcare transfer using transmission technology.  

These include: 

1. Data text message
2. CT scans
3. MRI results
4. Oximeter/ pulse readings, etc.  

Care Cloud Telehealth Service  

Care Cloud optimizes care delivery with its Cloud-based telehealth solutions. HIPPA-compliant video calls ensure your patient’s data remains secure, and your services are reimbursed correctly.  

Take a demo now at https://www.carecloud.com/