The benefits of telehealth’s wide adoption have become more evident than ever. The new challenges forced
healthcare providers to offer remote clinical services to stay efficient. The main goal of
telehealth technology
is to elevate medical care by connecting people who seek it to remote doctors.
Exoft brings over a decade of expertise in
custom healthcare software development,
addressing healthcare providers' challenges. Trusted globally, we offer streamlined record management and advanced medical data protection. With us, clients can
develop a HIPAA-compliant telehealth solution
to enhance patient care, boost productivity, and optimize costs.
This article explains how telehealth works and its benefits for patients and physicians. We discuss telemedicine appointment types and examine the telehealth market's potential growth, including statistics and influencing factors. Keep reading to discover how telemedicine is revolutionizing healthcare delivery and the promising future it holds for the industry.
Benefits of telemedicine for patients
The advantages of telemedicine in healthcare encompass improved access to specialized expertise, enhanced patient convenience, and increased efficiency in delivering medical services. Let’s review more patient benefits of telehealth in detail.
Convenience
Statistics show that the national average wait time for a new patient appointment with a physician increased to 26 days. Besides, the average face-to-face visit takes about 2 hours, including more than 1.5 hours of travel time. Virtual visits eliminate the need for clinic trips, saving time off work and waiting room frustrations. Telemedicine tools allow patients to reduce waiting time to just 5-10 minutes and spend about 13-15 minutes on the visit itself.
Accessibility
If we take a global perspective, one of the key advantages of telemedicine for patients is the accessibility of medical care. Although it may seem that receiving clinical services isn’t a challenge for most people, the reality is quite different.
Living in rural areas often hinders timely care, even in developed countries like the US. The reason is not only the long driving time but also the number of rural hospitals is constantly decreasing. The telehealth advantage is that it makes the distance insignificant, so people can easily access medical specialists regardless of where they live.
Better treatment outcomes
One of the key telemedicine benefits for patients is better treatment outcomes.
A study
shows that patients who used telemedicine during the treatment process have fewer hospital admissions and readmissions. Why is it so? Many people who have some concerns about their health conditions don’t want to go to the hospital because it takes too much effort.
By solving this issue, telemedicine encourages even the laziest and busiest of us to be more attentive to our health. Early detection of disease often becomes critical for the ultimate treatment outcomes. Besides, the benefit of telemedicine is that it simplifies the monitoring of symptoms and follow-up consulting with a doctor, so nothing is missed at the recovery stage.
No risk of catching a contagious disease
In a medical organization, many sick people gather in one place. So, every visit to a hospital or clinic is associated with an increased risk of contracting a contagious disease. Even when someone comes to a doctor with minor health issues, they may catch a dangerous virus.
One of the telehealth benefits is that people don’t need to leave their homes to see a primary care specialist. To receive medical advice, they can just make a video call and stay in a safe place until they get better if no hospitalization is needed.
Self-management of healthcare
Seniors and people with chronic conditions need regular checkups with a doctor. However, frequent traveling to care settings may be a real challenge, especially if a patient has limited mobility. In this context, the adoption of telemedicine has the potential to become a true game-changer for patient experiences.
Remote consultations and monitoring can provide patients with the necessary support to manage their health conditions at home. In addition, the accessibility of medical care facilitates proactive communication with physicians about symptoms and vital signs. This ultimately leads to more effective treatment and safer medication use.
Improved safety and comfort
Telemedicine reduces the risk of accidents associated with travel, such as car accidents or falls while navigating medical facilities. Patients can receive care in their familiar surroundings, reducing stress and anxiety often related to medical appointments, thereby enhancing overall well-being. Additionally, telemedicine allows patients with mobility issues or disabilities to access healthcare without the physical challenges of transportation.
Enhanced privacy
Telemedicine minimizes privacy concerns. Patients can discuss sensitive medical issues from the privacy of their own homes, which promotes open and honest communication with healthcare providers. It leads to more accurate diagnoses and tailored treatment plans while respecting patient confidentiality. Furthermore, telemedicine platform features often employ encryption and secure data transmission protocols to protect patient data.
Cost Savings
Among the benefits of telehealth technology is significant cost reduction. Telemedicine saves patients money by eliminating the need for travel, parking fees, and childcare expenses often associated with in-person appointments. Patients can also avoid lost wages by taking time off work for appointments, making healthcare more accessible and affordable.
Improved Follow-up Care
Telemedicine facilitates regular follow-up care for patients with chronic conditions or post-surgical monitoring. Through virtual consultations and remote monitoring devices, healthcare providers can closely monitor patients' progress and intervene promptly. Additionally, telemedicine allows for seamless collaboration between healthcare organizations, ensuring coordinated care and comprehensive patient support throughout their treatment.
Benefits of telemedicine for doctors
The benefits of telemedicine in healthcare aren’t limited just to many advantages for patients. Clinicians can also see improvements in their working lives after implementing telehealth solutions. Here are the most crucial of them:
Shared knowledge
Telehealth software provides medical staff with a convenient and secure communication channel, making it much easier to get input from other specialists if necessary. For example, a primary care doctor may need to consult with a dermatologist or surgeon about treating a patient with multiple diseases or a high risk of complications. With telemedicine tools, they can securely share medical history, lab results, X-ray images, etc., and organize a virtual meeting.
Lower risk of burnout
Telehealth adoption is an effective way to battle physician burnout. Like most real-life interactions, physical appointments require more time and energy than video calls. As a result, doctors feel more stressed and are more likely to report poor work/life balance. According to the
American Journal of Medicine,
54% of US physicians show symptoms of burnout.
Telemedicine solutions allow healthcare providers to reduce the number of in-person visits while delivering quality care to all patients who need it. It helps medical employees maintain good physician-patient relationships, remain productive, and feel happier at work.
Improved workflow
Telehealth systems also integrate with other solutions used by medical organizations and automate a significant portion of administrative work. This integration often necessitates
EHR development
to ensure seamless connectivity and data exchange between telehealth platforms and existing medical records systems.
By connecting telemedicine software to EHR/EMR systems, hospitals can streamline the process of filling out the mandatory forms. As a result, doctors will save a lot of time and shift the focus from paperwork to treating patients.
Increased incomes
Telemedicine can boost doctors' incomes by enabling them to see more patients and offer additional services, such as remote consultations and follow-ups. With virtual care options, physicians can expand their patient base beyond traditional geographic boundaries, attracting new patients and generating additional revenue streams.
This increase in income not only rewards doctors for their expertise and time but also allows them to invest in further improving patient care through technology and staff training, enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.
Better patient engagement
Telemedicine enhances patient engagement by providing convenient and accessible healthcare options. With virtual visits, patients can easily connect with their doctors, ask questions, and participate in their care from their homes. This increased engagement leads to better patient satisfaction, improved adherence to treatment plans, and, ultimately, better health outcomes.
Additionally, empowered and engaged patients are more likely to take proactive steps toward managing their health, leading to reduced healthcare costs and a healthier population overall.
Improved continuity of care
Telehealth facilitates seamless continuity of care by enabling doctors to monitor patients' health status remotely and provide ongoing support between in-person visits. Through remote patient monitoring devices and telemedicine platforms, physicians can track vital signs, review medication adherence, and address emerging health concerns in real time.
It ensures that patients receive timely interventions and proactive management of their conditions. Continuous monitoring and support enhance patient outcomes and reduce the risk of complications or hospital readmissions, improving overall patient health and wellness.
For more information, read our
telemedicine software development cost guide.
What types of appointments work well for telemedicine?
While not intended to replace traditional in-person care, telemedicine offers a flexible and convenient alternative for various healthcare needs. Some of the appointments that work well for telemedicine include:
- Regular check-ups for ongoing or recurring health conditions: Telemedicine allows patients to conveniently connect with their healthcare providers for routine check-ups, follow-ups on chronic conditions, and ongoing health management.
- Treatment of infectious conditions: From common colds and flu to contagious diseases like COVID-19, telemedicine provides a safe and efficient way for patients to receive diagnosis, treatment, and guidance without needing in-person visits.
- Treatment of minor conditions: Patients can seek telemedicine consultations for minor ailments like coughs, allergies, minor injuries, and musculoskeletal issues like back pain, sprains, or strains. It saves and avoids unnecessary trips to the doctor's office.
- Dermatology appointments: Telemedicine offers convenient access to dermatologists for diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions, including rashes, acne, eczema, and psoriasis, through virtual consultations and digital image sharing.
- Mental health care services: Telepsychiatry and teletherapy enable individuals to access mental health support, including therapy sessions, medication management, and counseling, from their homes. It promotes accessibility and reduces stigma.
- Medication monitoring: Patients can use telemedicine to discuss new medications' effects and side effects with their healthcare providers. User-friendly telemedicine platform design ensures proper medication management and adherence.
- Test results discussions: Telemedicine appointments provide an efficient platform for patients to review and discuss test results. It allows for timely feedback, clarification, and further guidance from healthcare professionals.
- Surgery follow-up: Telemedicine facilitates post-operative follow-up appointments, allowing surgeons to monitor patients' recovery progress, address any concerns, and provide guidance on post-surgical care remotely.
- Consultations with specialists: Telemedicine enables patients to access specialist care regardless of geographic location. It facilitates remote consultations with experts in various fields, including cardiology, neurology, oncology, and more.
As part of a comprehensive telemedicine strategic plan, its versatility goes beyond these examples. It encompasses radiology consultations, oncology care team meetings, and stroke recovery analysis by neurologists. As technology evolves, telemedicine expands its scope, providing innovative solutions to various healthcare needs.
The potential of the telehealth market in the future
Implementing telemedicine can transform the healthcare industry as we know it today. The telehealth & telemedicine market reached $120.4 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to hit $285.7 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 23.2% during the forecast period.
Rapid market growth is driven by the increasing demand for mental health services and technological advancements. Integrating novel technologies like chatbots has improved efficiency and healthcare accessibility. Additionally, the market is further propelled by the rising need for radiological services, orthopedic care, and government initiatives.
By improving the connectivity between patients and doctors, this technology can become an essential part of solutions to many challenges faced by modern medical systems, for example:
- the fast spread of viruses and epidemics
- effective treatment of chronic conditions
- delivering proper care for the elderly
- accessibility and affordability of healthcare
- lack of hospitals in remote areas
- poor work/life balance of medical staff.
In addition, studies show that the provision of clinical services remotely requires lower costs than traditional face-to-face visits. So, investments in telemedicine can bring not only clinical but also economic benefits to all parties involved.
Conclusion
The global healthcare system must adopt new technologies to fulfill its functions effectively. Although the
digital transformation of medical institutions
requires a comprehensive approach, telemedicine has a fundamental importance in improving the quality of care. Telehealth software enhances convenience, accessibility, and effectiveness while streamlining administrative tasks for doctors and facilitating consultations with specialists.
With over ten years of experience in
custom healthcare software development,
Exoft tailors telemedicine solutions to your needs. From online appointment scheduling to remote patient monitoring, EMR/EHR integration,
LIMS development,
and CRM systems for healthcare, our
telemedicine app development company
excels in optimizing your healthcare processes.
Contact us
to discover how our telemedicine solutions boost satisfaction and efficiency.