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Doctor who is remotely consulting with a patient.

The Advantages of Telehealth: How it’s Transforming Healthcare in 2020

House calls are once again a reality, but not in the way you’re thinking. Telehealth has changed how patients interact with their physicians, making home access and alternative visits available in 2020.

If your practice has yet to adopt a quality Telehealth solution, it may be time to take the leap.

What is Telehealth?

1) Visit Alternative

Compared to the in-office visit, Telehealth offers another option to patients. Many patients avoid seeking regularly scheduled medical attention has it can be very inconvenient in their daily lives. Rather than a patient having to take time away from their job to travel to their physician’s office, spend an hour in their waiting room for a 15-minute visit, and then travel all the way back, telehealth makes it possible for them to visit from their computer. This kind of visit takes place over video communication, similar to facetime, but more secure. With the right solution, providers can provide quality care to their patients, accessing all of their updated health information during a visit just like they would if they were there in person.

2) Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote monitoring is an extension of telehealth that allows physicians to track patient vitals and other health data in real-time. Devices set up at the patient’s home electronically communicate real-time vitals to their provider. This is an important tool for patients battling chronic conditions as it keeps them from having to travel constantly for testing/labs. It can help patients with diabetes track their sugars in their patient portal automatically. It can even help patients with chronic heart conditions monitor their situations in real-time.

What Are the Advantages?

1) Patient Engagement

Telehealth empowers patient engagement by giving patients a convenient alternative to traditional medical care that they have been searching for. The easier it is for an individual to access their physician, the more likely they are to comply with annual and follow up care. By implementing a quality telehealth solution, you can help your patients avoid time off work and travel costs while still offering them the quality care that they deserve. Higher levels of patient engagement have been proven to lead to better outcomes, an increase in revenue, and an increase in patient retention.

2) Real-Time Vitals

With the ability to track patient vitals in real-time, remote patient monitoring in telehealth has changed the lives of patients while improving the care providers can offer. Providers have access to the most updated list of patient data to better inform their clinical decisions while giving patients the comfort they need to recover. Patients seeing multiple providers for multiple conditions can share this data across the board rather than having to go get testing done around the clock. Telehealth reduces hospital costs for chronically ill patients as their vitals can be tracked at home.

3) Improve Bottom Line

Lastly, telehealth has a huge impact on practice revenue in multiple different ways. First, telehealth as a visit alternative is shorter on average than a traditional visit. Your providers are able to visit with more patients in their day and bill for more services. Patients are also on the search for providers who are offering the latest and most useful technology. By offering telehealth at your practice, patients who are leaving their providers on the search for new ones will make their way through your doors.

Telehealth has changed healthcare forever and has offered patients the solution they need to stay engaged in their care. To learn more about how telehealth can help your practice grow, click here.

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