How to Choose the Right Telehealth Solution
Over the last few years, telehealth has seen immense growth and popularity. Almost 76% of US hospitals today have virtual care to offer so that they are able to connect, consult, and cure their patients through virtual care. This platform has gained popularity due to cost reduction, personal attention, better access to care, increased, and improved medical results. Along with that, the medical practitioners’ overall practice gets better.
Telehealth and Coronavirus Pandemic
Telehealth solution has garnered all the more support and significance ever since the Coronavirus pandemic struck us all. With lockdown being imposed and social distancing being the new normal, even clinics cannot be trusted as there can be many people with COVID-19 symptoms or virus carriers that could ultimately affect your health. Having said that, life doesn’t stop here; there are a lot of other illnesses and medical conditions that need to be cured and consulted. This is where telehealth can be of help for people like heart patients and diabetics who require regular consultations.
The irony here lies that today there are so many telehealth providers that choosing one can get a bit overwhelming and confusing. Although this could be a bit challenging in the beginning, take a look at some tips and some questions you could ask to choose the right to Telehealth solution.
What kind of Telehealth would be the most effective for you?
Remote healthcare is not the everyday zoom call that you do with your doctor. It includes a lot of medical information and technicality and varies from patient to patient. Some might include clinical services others may include only electronic communications. You should be aware of the services telehealth providers are offering so that there are no problems in the near future.
There are all kinds of interactions such as synchronous that include real-time video or audio along with the use of peripheral devices. It could also be asynchronous interactions which include stored images, E-visits, recording, e-consults, video visits, and messaging.
Balancing security and usability
Yes, telehealth has been the ultimate reliable source of healthcare providers in 2020 but it is mostly because of the situation that the pandemic had started. There were a lot of rules and regulations that had kept the telehealth facilities restricted but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, all the restrictions have been eased.
This also means that there is a risk of a security breach and therefore, not a user-friendly interface. Make sure you choose a telehealth provider that provides easy communication and accessibility along with HIPAA compliance.
Is the telehealth provider interoperable with other technicians, team members, and sources of communication?
As discussed before, telehealth is no longer a plain doctor-patient Skype session. The communication should be accessible for more people for a better consultation experience. If your consultation requires expert advice from paramedics or a physician or a specialty doctor you should not be asked to fix another appointment. Rather, you should be connected to one; right there and then( if possible).
Will your telehealth provider go the extra mile if things don’t work?
The primary aim of a health provider should be to offer their patient optimum health and care. While telehealth providers aim to meet all your requirements and issues, sometimes they may not have the right practitioner or digital service for your aid. In such cases, they should be able to guide you through further (or other) medical specialties.
All in all, telehealth providers could bring you a lot of benefits and ease. It becomes all the more effective and beneficial when you choose the right one for yourself.
