How Telemedicine is Revolutionizing Healthcare Accessibility

Increased Access to Specialized Care

People who suffer from chronic illnesses or have disabilities that do not allow them to travel far from home can still get access to specialists through telemedicine appointments. This also applies to people who live in rural areas who would not normally have easy access to specialists in big cities. Telemedicine saves people time and money because they do not have to travel long distances just for a consultation. 

Discretion

Telemedicine has helped many patients feel less scared of talking to doctors about their various ailments and concerns. There is something about getting up and driving all the way to a doctor’s office just to talk about something embarrassing. Patients who use BlueChew for improved performance report feeling more comfortable talking about their medical issues from the privacy of their home than in an office where anyone could be listening. Having this level of discretion is encouraging more and more people to make telemedicine appointments instead of in-person ones.

People Who Are Ill Do Not Need to Leave the House to Get the Care they Need

The last thing anyone wants to do when they are really sick is to leave the house to sit in a waiting room with bright lights and wait their turn for their appointment. Contagious patients going into doctor's offices also increases the risk of everyone else in the office getting sick as well. If members of the medical team get sick, then they will have to take time off and fewer patients will be able to make appointments because the office will be understaffed. 

This domino effect can be completely avoided when really ill patients choose to stay home and have a telemedicine appointment instead. A quick video call where they can explain their symptoms and get the medication they need is faster and safer than the traditional alternative.

Flexibility

With many people working from home nowadays, their schedules allow for breaks at all different hours of the day. Being able to have a video call doctor’s appointment allows work-from-homers to stay home and have the appointment in between meetings. Gone are the days of leaving work early to drive for miles just to make a doctor’s appointment or missing lunch to go get a check-up. 

There are also many people who now work remotely, so they may be traveling and working. Telemedicine allows these people to still schedule their regular doctor’s appointments and have them wherever they are in the world. The flexibility of telemedicine also allows doctors to see patients more efficiently because they can log off of one call just to immediately log onto another one. This is different from traditional appointments where they have to wait for patients to fill out paperwork, walk down the hallway, and settle into their seats. 

Improved Mental Health Services

With telemedicine services for mental health, people do not need to get up and go to an office to have meaningful sessions. They can do them from the comfort of their own homes, which helps many people feel more comfortable than sitting in an unfamiliar office setting. Telemedicine also allows patients to keep their therapists, even if they move to a new place. This keeps progress going and eliminates the need to start all over with a new therapist, which can be hard to do. There is often a lot of stress that comes with having to test out new therapists and find the right one for you, so the thought of changing therapists due to a move can make an already big life change even more anxiety-inducing. Telemedicine options keep that added stress from happening.  

Emergency Response and Disaster Relief

Telemedicine services can take doctors places that they cannot physically go to in emergency situations. For example, if there is a major natural disaster and people are injured and stranded but still have their phones, they can contact doctors through video chats and the doctors can walk them through first aid procedures. This can save lives and help keep people calm until rescue services arrive. This kind of virtual triage can also help doctors contact and pull in other specialists and helpers to help people in need get found quickly. 

Safety For People Who Are Immunocompromised

Many people in the world have autoimmune diseases or other health issues that make their immune systems very weak, so entering a physical doctor’s office could have serious negative consequences. Hospitals and doctor’s offices are full of germs because they are full of sick people all of the time. If an immunocompromised person needs a consultation for something mundane or an appointment for a regular check-up where it is not essential that they are there in person, telemedicine consultations are a perfect option. They can talk to their doctor without leaving their house and without the fear of getting sick. 

Chronic Disease Management

People with chronic diseases are usually in and out of doctor’s offices all the time for tests and check-ins, but some of those appointments can be easily switched to video calls. People who have diseases like diabetes where they have to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels can now digitally input that information into a telemedicine portal where the doctor can monitor it without the patient having to come in.

Not only does this eliminate the need to come into a doctor’s office all the time, but it also means that doctors can spot abnormalities quickly by using modern technology. Telemedicine portals can alert the doctor if something is wrong with the patient and the doctor can intervene quickly. This is good for patients who live alone and may have a medical emergency alone in their home. 

The age of telemedicine took off during the pandemic when everyone was trying to stay home, but it is showing no signs of going away because it has proven to be extremely useful.