The pandemic has brought many changes into our lives, with telemedicine being one of the most notable for patients across the globe. With hospitals and healthcare centers overflowing with COVID-related work and precautions against creating COVID hotspots by cramming patients and personnel together, telemedicine has proven an invaluable innovation in several key facets.
- Accessing Medical Care
First and most obviously, telemedicine has made it easier to avoid those aforementioned issues and still receive some degree of medical care. Rather than wait a long time in long lines and risk infection, telemedicine allows you to contact your doctor remotely at a time that works for both of you.
- Quick Questions
Maybe you have a quick question that could be answered in two minutes without the hassle of driving or taking the bus over for a full appointment. Telemedicine allows you to ask your doctor quick questions, saving time for both of you.
- Ease and Comfort
One of the most important components to quality patient care is making it easy for patients to reach doctors when necessary. Telemedicine’s email and video conferencing aspects allow you to do just that. What’s more, if driving to the doctor seems like too much of a hassle, or you simply need a prescription refilled, telemedicine can allow you to contact your doctor from the comfort of your own home.
- Save Money
Doctors’ appointments aren’t just potentially annoying but costly as well. By contrast, it has been estimated by Oregon Health and Science University that telemedicine appointments scheduled by their patients helped save $6.4 million in patient costs – and that was in 2016. Five years and a global pandemic later, the cost-benefit analysis of scheduling telemedicine appointments is even more favorable. What’s more, it can help doctor’s offices save money as well by eliminating the scheduling gaps and fees lost to appointment no-shows.
As we continue to adjust to the COVID pandemic, finding ways to make services more accessible and affordable will be essential across the board – especially in “