Telehealth: When Technology Meets Healthcare

Technology Meets Healthcare

How many times take you heard that the Internet has transformed modern life? Indeed, the way you communicate with family and friends, purchase goods and services, and even search for information about health problems has probably changed.

There are several telehealth tools available to help you manage your health care and receive the services you need. Are you taking advantage of them?

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What is Telehealth?

Telehealth usages digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access healthcare services remotely and manage healthcare. These can be technologies that you use from home or that the doctor uses to improve or support health care services.

Consider, for example, the ways telehealth might help you if you have diabetes. You might do some or all of the following tasks:

• Use a mobile phone or another device to upload food, medication, dose, and blood glucose records for review by an electronically responding nurse.
• Watch a video about counting carbohydrates and download an app for it on your phone.
• Usage an app to estimate how much insulin you need based happening your diet and exercise level.
• Use the online patient portal to view your test results, schedule appointments, request a prescription refill or email your doctor.
• Order test supplies and medications online.
• Get an outpatient retinal screening at your doctor’s office instead of making an appointment with a specialist.
• Receive email, text before phone reminders when you necessity a flu shot, foot exam, or other preventive repairs.

The goals of telehealth, too called e-health or m-health (mobile health), include:

• Make health care accessible to persons living in rural or isolated communities.
• Facilitate services more quickly or efficiently for people with limited mobility, time, or transportation options.
• Provide access to specialist doctors.
• Improve communication and coordination of health care between members of a health care team and the patient.
• Provide support for self-management of health care.

The following examples of telehealth services can benefit your health upkeep.

Patient Portal

Your primary care clinic may take an online patient portal. The portals offer an alternative to email, which generally remains an insecure income of communicating confidential medicinal information. The portal remains a more secure virtual tool where you can do the following:

• Contact your doctor or a member of the nursing staff.
• Request the renewal of medicinal prescriptions.
• Review exam results and summaries of previous queries.
• Schedule medicinal appointments before request appointment reminders.

If your doctor is within an extensive healthcare system, the portal can also provide a single point of communication for the specialists you consult.

Virtual Medical Appointments

Some clinics may offer virtual appointments that allow you to see the doctor or nurse through an online video conference. These appointments will enable you to receive ongoing medical care from your regular physician when an in-person visit is not necessary or possible.

Other virtual appointments include web-based “visits” through a specialist doctor or nurse. Generally, these services are for minor illnesses, similar to services available at a walk-in clinic. Some large companies provide access to virtual doctor’s offices as part of their healthcare offering.

When you enter a web-based service, you remain guided through a series of questions. Your medic or nurse practitioner can prescribe medications, suggest home care strategies, or recommend additional medical care.

Similarly, a nurse call centre has nurses who use a question and answer format to advise home health care. A nurse call centre does not diagnose illness or prescribe medication.

While these services are convenient, they have their downsides:

• Treatment may not remain coordinated with your regular doctor.
• Essential information from your medical history might not remain taken into account.
• The computer-based decision-making model may not remain optimal if you have a complex medical history.
• The virtual visit absences an in-person evaluation, which can make an accurate diagnosis difficult.
• The service does not allow doctor and patient to easily share decision-making about treatments or turn to a plan B if the initial treatment does not work.

Remote Control

Various technologies allow your doctor or healthcare team to monitor your health remotely. These technologies include the following:

• Web or mobile applications to upload info, such by way of blood glucose values, for the doctor or healthcare team to see
• Devices that wirelessly amount and transmit information such as blood pressure, blood glucose, or lung function
• Portable devices that automatically record then transmit information such as heart rate, blood glucose level, gait, posture control, tremors, physical activity or sleep patterns
• Home monitoring devices for the elderly or people with dementia to detect changes in everyday activities, such as falls

Physicians Consulting With Other Physicians

Doctors container also income advantage of technology to better care for their patients. An example is virtual consultations that allow primary care physicians to obtain specialist input when they have questions about a particular diagnosis or treatment.

The primary care physician sends the report and results of the exam, history, X-rays, or other images to the specialist for review. The specialist can respond electronically, make a virtual medical appointment with you at the doctor’s office, or request a face-to-face meeting.

These virtual consultations prevent unnecessary in-person referral, reduce the waiting time involved in getting the specialist’s suggestion and avoid unnecessary travel.

Personal Health Records

An electronic personal health record system often called an electronic personal health record, is a collection of information about your health that you control and maintain. You can access an electronic unique health record application at any time through a web-enabled device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

In an emergency, a personal medical best can quickly provide emergency personnel with vital information, such as current diagnoses, medications, drug allergies, and your doctor’s contact information.

How many times take you heard that the Internet has transformed modern life? Indeed, the way you communicate with family and friends, purchase goods and services, and even search for information about health problems has probably changed.

There are several telehealth tools available to help you manage your health care and receive the services you need. Are you taking advantage of them?

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth usages digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access healthcare services remotely and manage healthcare. These can be technologies that you use from home or that the doctor uses to improve or support health care services.

Consider, for example, the ways telehealth might help you if you have diabetes. You might do some or all of the following tasks:

• Use a mobile phone or another device to upload food, medication, dose, and blood glucose records for review by an electronically responding nurse.
• Watch a video about counting carbohydrates and download an app for it on your phone.
• Usage an app to estimate how much insulin you need based happening your diet and exercise level.
• Use the online patient portal to view your test results, schedule appointments, request a prescription refill or email your doctor.
• Order test supplies and medications online.
• Get an outpatient retinal screening at your doctor’s office instead of making an appointment with a specialist.
• Receive email, text before phone reminders when you necessity a flu shot, foot exam, or other preventive repairs.

The goals of telehealth, too called e-health or m-health (mobile health), include:

• Make health care accessible to persons living in rural or isolated communities.
• Facilitate services more quickly or efficiently for people with limited mobility, time, or transportation options.
• Provide access to specialist doctors.
• Improve communication and coordination of health care between members of a health care team and the patient.
• Provide support for self-management of health care.

The following examples of telehealth services can benefit your health upkeep.

Patient Portal

Your primary care clinic may take an online patient portal. The portals offer an alternative to email, which generally remains an insecure income of communicating confidential medicinal information. The portal remains a more secure virtual tool where you can do the following:

• Contact your doctor or a member of the nursing staff.
• Request the renewal of medicinal prescriptions.
• Review exam results and summaries of previous queries.
• Schedule medicinal appointments before request appointment reminders.

If your doctor is within an extensive healthcare system, the portal can also provide a single point of communication for the specialists you consult.

Virtual Medical Appointments

Some clinics may offer virtual appointments that allow you to see the doctor or nurse through an online video conference. These appointments will enable you to receive ongoing medical care from your regular physician when an in-person visit is not necessary or possible.

Other virtual appointments include web-based “visits” through a specialist doctor or nurse. Generally, these services are for minor illnesses, similar to services available at a walk-in clinic. Some large companies provide access to virtual doctor’s offices as part of their healthcare offering.

When you enter a web-based service, you remain guided through a series of questions. Your medic or nurse practitioner can prescribe medications, suggest home care strategies, or recommend additional medical care.

Similarly, a nurse call centre has nurses who use a question and answer format to advise home health care. A nurse call centre does not diagnose illness or prescribe medication.

While these services are convenient, they have their downsides:

• Treatment may not remain coordinated with your regular doctor.
• Essential information from your medical history might not remain taken into account.
• The computer-based decision-making model may not remain optimal if you have a complex medical history.
• The virtual visit absences an in-person evaluation, which can make an accurate diagnosis difficult.
• The service does not allow doctor and patient to easily share decision-making about treatments or turn to a plan B if the initial treatment does not work.

Remote Control

Various technologies allow your doctor or healthcare team to monitor your health remotely. These technologies include the following:

• Web or mobile applications to upload info, such by way of blood glucose values, for the doctor or healthcare team to see
• Devices that wirelessly amount and transmit information such as blood pressure, blood glucose, or lung function
• Portable devices that automatically record then transmit information such as heart rate, blood glucose level, gait, posture control, tremors, physical activity or sleep patterns
• Home monitoring devices for the elderly or people with dementia to detect changes in everyday activities, such as falls

Physicians Consulting With Other Physicians

Doctors container also income advantage of technology to better care for their patients. An example is virtual consultations that allow primary care physicians to obtain specialist input when they have questions about a particular diagnosis or treatment.

The primary care physician sends the report and results of the exam, history, X-rays, or other images to the specialist for review. The specialist can respond electronically, make a virtual medical appointment with you at the doctor’s office, or request a face-to-face meeting.

These virtual consultations prevent unnecessary in-person referral, reduce the waiting time involved in getting the specialist’s suggestion and avoid unnecessary travel.

Personal Health Records

An electronic personal health record system often called an electronic personal health record, is a collection of information about your health that you control and maintain. You can access an electronic unique health record application at any time through a web-enabled device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

In an emergency, a personal medical best can quickly provide emergency personnel with vital information, such as current diagnoses, medications, drug allergies, and your doctor’s contact information.

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