Question

how does telemedicine work? what are examples? who benefits from telemedicine? negative and postives of telemedicine? define telemedicine?

Answer 1

Definition of telemedicine: Telemedicine is the remote delivery of healthcare services, such as health assessments or consultations, over the telecommunications infrastructure. It allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients using common technology, such as video conferencing and smartphones, without the need for an in-person visit.

Types of telemedicine :

Telemedicine can be classified into three main categories: remote patient monitoring, store-and-forward, and interactive telemedicine.

Remote patient monitoring, also known as telemonitoring, allows patients with chronic diseases to be monitored in their homes with mobile medical devices that collect data about blood sugar levels, blood pressure or other vital signs. Remote caregivers can review the data instantly.

Store-and-forward, also known as asynchronous telemedicine, lets providers share patient information, such as lab results, with a physician at another location.

Finally, interactive telemedicine allows physicians and patients to communicate in real time. Such sessions can be conducted in the patient's home or in a nearby medical facility and include telephone conversations or the use of video conferencing software that complies with HIPAA regulations.

how does telemedicine works: As various parties seek more efficient ways to provide care at less cost to the patient, telemedicine's role has grown. It is often a time-saving way for a consumer to see and speak to a clinician for minor and non-urgent medical needs instead of going to a primary care physician's office or emergency department. In recent years, many states have passed laws that make telemedicine easier to practice, and federal health regulators are also exploring ways to further grant Medicare reimbursements for telemedicine services.

Examples:

For patients at home, a typical telemedicine discussion may involve them calling a telemedicine number, which generally is provided by a primary care physician's office, by a patient's employer as part of health benefits or via a web search.

Once a medical history and symptoms are detailed, the patient is either then immediately connected to a clinician via video conferencing technology or gets an interactive call back from a physician or nurse. The provider that the patient speaks to may not be the patient's primary care physician, but instead a contracted clinician at a telemedicine network.

Based on the clinician's evaluation, the call may end with a patient receiving further instructions, such as a recommendation to go to a hospital, obtain a prescription or simply schedule a follow-up appointment.

Advantages of telemedicine

Some of the benefits of telemedicine for patients include:

• Convenience: Patients do not have to take time away from work for an appointment. There is also no travel time or associated expenses, such as paying for gas or child care.
• Increased access: Patients in rural areas can obtain specialty services, such a mental health treatment or post-surgery follow up, that they otherwise might not get without traveling a large distance for an in-person visit. Similarly, patients who live in federally designated, underserved areas have increased access to primary, dental and mental healthcare.

The advantages of telemedicine for providers include:

• Reduced cancellations or no-shows: Because of its convenience for patients, telemedicine can reduce the number of cancellations or no-shows. Providers can reach out prior to or at the appointment time if the patient forgot about the appointment.
• Encourage healthy lifestyle choices: Telemedicine allows providers to encourage their patients' healthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking cessation.

Disadvantages of telemedicine

Some of the challenges of telemedicine include:

• Cybersecurity: As with any technology that involves electronically transmitting patient data, telemedicine systems are susceptible to hackers and breaches. Healthcare organizations remain one of the biggest targets for online criminals and terrorists.
• Inability to prescribe medications: Many states generally do not allow online prescribing (not to be confused with e-prescribing) without an established relationship between the physician and patient. A physical examination or evaluation may be required before a physician can write a prescription for a patient, but there are inconsistencies in state laws as to what constitutes a physical examination.
• Technical training and equipment: Providers need to be trained on how to use telemedicine equipment. There are also the associated costs of the equipment, such as integrated telemedicine carts and encounter management software, to consider. The startup cost of implementing telemedicine may be especially prohibitive to rural facilities.
• Licensing issues: Certain states may require providers who practice telemedicine across state lines have a valid license in the state where the patient is located.