Benefits of Telemedicine

For years, many health care professionals have offered medical services via telephone – like dial-a-nurse services – for non-emergency issues that a patient may have. With new advances in technology meeting society’s fast-paced demands, telemedicine has become a large industry.

The advent of telemedicine is a natural progression as technology has developed, providing personalized medical services to people for a variety of reasons. This technology includes secure videoconferencing between patients and doctors, which is the hallmark of telemedicine.

What Is Telemedicine?

It is a face-to-face online session between doctors and patients, allowing both to conduct simple routine and non-emergency visits through online video chatting. Telemedicine is wonderfully convenient, as patients can see a doctor quickly from their workplace or from home – without having to take time out to commute to and from a doctor’s office.

In a traditional visit to the family doctor, the average time during which a patient actually sees the doctor is only 7 minutes. The remaining time is spent driving to and from the office, waiting in the lobby, and then sitting in the examination room while the doctor finishes with other patients.

Telemedicine removes these excess obstacles. No more time spent traveling both ways and spent waiting in a room while being exposed to germs or illnesses of other patients.

How It Increases Access for Health Care

Telemedicine allows patients who live in rural areas a chance to have a face-to-face visit with a doctor and to build and maintain a relationship with their health care professional. This is especially helpful when the patient cannot make it to an office appointment.

For example, if you live on a farm or on a ranch out in the country, it takes an awfully long time to travel to and from a doctor’s office located miles and miles away for a short visit with the physican. Telemedicine not only eliminates this extra time, but it also cuts down on costs for both the patient and the doctor.

Added Convenience for Patients

Telemedicine not only saves the patient time and money, but it also reassures them that a doctor is always available. By trimming the time otherwise wasted helps both patients and health care professionals. Therefore, for an appointment that does not need active physical contact – such as if you’re fighting a cold – telemedicine is a viable option.

Sometimes patients may want a second opinion, which can often be easily handled via telemedicine. A patient can email test results to a doctor, ask the doctor real-time questions, and get that important and reassuring second opinion – all from the convenience of their home or their desk at work.