Telehealth is the use of information and communication technologies to gain remote access to and management of health care services. Technologies include computers and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. This could be technology you use at home. Telehealth can also refer to the use of technology by your health care provider to improve or supplement health care services.
Telehealth, also known as e-health has the following objectives:
For medical care or consultation, some people may use telephone or web-based services. You are led through a number of questions when you contact or log into a website offering primary or urgent care. Drugs may be prescribed by the doctor or nurse practitioner. Alternatively they might recommend additional medical attention or home care advice.
Providing healthcare remotely by utilizing electronic information and technology such as computers, cameras, videoconferencing, satellites, wireless communications, and the Internet. When a patient calls their primary care physician for guidance about non-emergency medical issues that don’t require the doctor to see them in person, telemedicine typically takes the form of a phone call.
When necessary, face-to-face consultations are still necessary and are supplemented via telemedicine. The true benefit of telemedicine today is the ease it provides both patients and practitioners by eliminating the need for an in-person visit to receive medical advice or treatment. As comparison to the expense of waiting to see a doctor or other healthcare professional, it is also cost-effective. Once a doctor’s office has closed, telemedicine can still assist in choosing critical calls. In the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions, it is incredibly valuable.
Some examples of telemedicine include medical imaging, video consultations, remote medical diagnosis and evaluations, tele-treatment, and medication management.
Several studies that directly compared telemedicine to other patient management strategies have demonstrated that there is a distinct advantage to using telemedicine. Teleradiology, telemental health, telecardiology (especially echocardiography), home telecare, and teledermatology all saw the biggest benefits. Nonetheless, most academics concur that more research is needed due to the scant current information regarding the advantages or cost-effectiveness of telemedicine.