The health care
industry’s response to technological advances makes it possible to provide
medical care in ways that were once deemed impossible. Telemedicine,
specifically, provides unique and innovative ways for physicians to offer
quality care in a changing health care system.
Objective
Telemedecine,
in simple terms, is the delivery of medical services through remote means in
real-time telecommunication modes; telemedicine combines communications with IT.
Certain motivating factors move telemedicine to the forefront of realistic and
effective ways to address changes within the health care industry:
- Baby
boomer generation reaches retirement age.
- Lack
of physicians to meet patient demand.
- Changes
due to health care reform mean that more than 30 million Americans join the
system.
As a result of
this technology, positives changes are on the horizon for health care. As it
grows to meet the demands placed on and rising costs of the system, the outcomes
appear to lead to the betterment of individual health and prosperity of the
health care system in general.
Changes Lead
to Benefits
Increased
Access
Remote,
isolated and rural areas embrace and herald the idea of remote medicine. Much of
a physician’s contact with a patient is accomplished via remote devices, such as
monitoring blood pressure and weight. This means that usually infrequent face
to face visits are no longer the only means of access to the patient. During
emergencies and for monitoring of chronic diseases, technological devices that
store and record and remotely monitor have opened the door for quality health
care.
Increased
Communication
Telemedicine
augments communication between and among primary care physicians and
specialists. No longer restricted to reading another doctor’s charts or notes,
videoconferencing expands communication incrementally, adding body language and
verbal responses to the process. There is no limit to the relationships that
benefit, like communication between: nurses and doctors; one office to another;
one country to another country.
Increased
Learning
Technology
combined with education opens up ample opportunities for medical teaching and
expands the student population to include those both physically and not
physically present. The potential for increased student exposure to gifted
teachers and surgical procedures advances the skills and knowledge of more
doctors.
Increased
Savings and Efficiency
By using this
technology, doctors serve more patients, without having to expend additional
time and resources. Instead, after initial history and exam, information from
remote devices contributes to diagnosis and treatment.
Another primary
advantage that attracts the health care industry? Telemedicine presents the
potential to avoid the further development of chronic disease development in
patients who present pre-cursors of the condition. Instead of reacting to
health, patients and doctors use this technology to proactively address minor
issues prior to escalation.
Finally,
telemedicine keeps chronic diseases from ballooning into major issues, which
often includes a costly trip to the ER. By maintaining virtual tabs on the
patient, nurses and doctors monitor the condition as it develops, enabling them
to make adjustments during scheduled office visits.
Overall,
telemedicine provides a means for physicians to efficiently treat multiple
patients, while decreasing costs of managing chronic conditions. Undoubtedly,
some believe that the idea negatively impacts the integral, personal connection
between doctor and patient, and in some ways that may be true.
The reality,
however, shows the current health care system bursting at the seams due to
patient demand, decreased overall health of Americans and health care reform
coverage. The current system cannot manage without making significant
adjustments. To avoid complete bankruptcy health care must change, and
telemedicine presents a good response to the problem.
