- Jul 14, 2020
Infographic Content:
Technology advancements have brought a drastic change in the way we visualize the world around us. By making way for the growing concept of telehealth or telemedicine, we embrace the new flair of technology for our best. But what is telemedicine? It is a process of providing quality clinical healthcare to the one in need from a distance. It is done so by the use of telecommunication and data technology.
Earlier telehealth was reserved for treating the patients that were living in remote areas, far from the healthcare spheres, or in areas where there was a shortage of quality medical professionals. However, in today’s world, the new advancement of telehealth is a tool for convenient and quality healthcare services. It is no longer confined to overcoming the issue of distance barriers but about facilitating the client’s demands. Patients do not wish to waste time in the waiting rooms at a hospital. They instead prefer to get immediate care for minor but urgent conditions whenever it is needed.
Some facts at a glance:
- Based on a report, More than 1 billion world population used smartphones in 2012. This is a bliss for telemedicine.
- As per a survey, about 52 percent of smartphone owners use their mobile to gather healthcare information.
Let us understand why telehealth is becoming the need of the hour and its importance.
Importance of Telehealth
Advantages for Patients:
- No traveling expenses
- No time spent waiting around for appointments in the hospitals
- Less involvement with childcare or eldercare responsibilities
- Reduced healthcare costs provide value to the patient
- Extended access to consultations with specialist professionals
- Higher customer satisfaction
Advantages for Service Providers:
- Improved revenue generation
- Fewer missed appointments and low cancellations
- The ability to acknowledge more patients over time
- Better patient follow-up and enhanced health outcomes
Interesting facts to know:
- According to the Global Industry report, the telehealth market is supposed to grow at 18 percent CAGR.
- About 50 percent of top healthcare professionals aim at improving the quality of healthcare services.
5 Trends in Telemedicine that are becoming prominent these days
A report by Mordor Intelligence anticipates that global telehealth will be worth more than $66 billion by the end of the year 2021. As per the Research2Guidance claims, 80percent of physicians use smartphones and medical apps. Below are five telehealth trends that will shape the future of the medical sector.
1. Client Data Collection and Analytics: During a telemedicine session, patient information is automatically stored by the use of telehealth services, such as sensors and mobile applications. Patientself-monitoring has been tremendous in 2017 and is expected to continue to grow beyond using this data and the range of modern devices available.
Some devices track patient ECGs and send the results to doctors, providing an invaluable tool for healthcare professionals to monitor cardiovascular activity.
Big Data analytics performs a significant role in analyzing data for many patients, helping to improve medical treatments as a whole going forward. Patient data collection can help the hospitals and clinics to identify risk factors for certain illnesses, assisting physicians with recommending prophylactic therapies.
2. Mobility and Cloud Access:According to a 2015 research2guidance report, 80 percent of doctors use smartphones and medical apps in their practice. Hospitals and insurance firms now store medical records in the cloud so that patients can access their test results online 24/7. This, in turn, has specific effects. Such as,
- It decreases paper usage
- It saves time
- It increases productivity
- Cloud data warehouses are one unique way of storing the data securely and efficiently.
3. Improved Security: With lots of data collected from patients to help in telemedicine services, data security is crucial. There are different advancements in today’s time which help to improve data security in Telemedicine, such as:
- Conducting a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) security check once a year to eliminate data security risk factors
- Focus on encryption of data on all portable devices
- Conducting more frequent penetration tests and vulnerability assessments of IT systems
4. Better Investment Opportunities: Since telehealth is one of the fastest-growing segments in the healthcare industry, many organizations are interested in investing in it. Mergers between small and more significant telemedicine operators provide financial stability to smaller firms. It sets a platform to provide telemedicine care effectively. Also, larger telemedicine providers are merging with international medical institutions. It is helping them spread their expertise abroad, widening the telemedicine horizon, and generating more revenue. Investment opportunities in Telemedicine will only spike as India and China open their doors to telemedicine practices from the west.
5. Enhanced Healthcare Apps: In the coming years, we can expect more customized telemedicine apps for both patients and clinicians, with the flexibility to mention the information transmitted between doctor and patient. Telemedicine app development also will give life to mHealth, also known as mobile Health. Apps such as:
– MDLIVE
– Amwell
– MyTeleMed
– Express Care Virtual
It will facilitate convenient communication between patient and physician.
Amusing facts to know:
- Based on a Press Release, about 64 percent of Americans prefer to visit the doctors through video calls than physical visits.
- Around 30 percent of the US population does not stay in proximity to a trauma center. Therefore, telehealth acts as a boon to them.
Conclusion:
Telemedicine services are cost-effective treatments and less wasted time for patients and physicians. It increases the prevalence of chronic diseases, technological advancements — particularly in software — and a rise in the aging population are essential factors driving the massive growth in telemedicine. Expect to see telemedicine become much more prevalent in healthcare over the coming years, with more people than ever having access to top-quality medical care on their mobile phones.
Source: Statista, GetrefferalMD, Medgadget, Chironhealth, MorderIntelligence, Healthline, Flatworldsolutions, Medicalnewstoday, Research2guidance
