Last Update Oct 16, 2022 @ 5:22 pm

It should be common sense not to ignore any kind of health care, but people may not take telehealth care seriously after the Covid-19 pandemic.  People may believe that it is not a beneficial practice due to not seeing the doctor in person.  However, studies have shown that telehealth care has actually helped improve the number of people seeking help for emotional care.

What is Telehealth Care?

Telehealth care is a practice that is really gained traction since Covid-19 reared its ugly head.  Basically, it’s when you don’t go to a doctor’s office, but you see your doctor through a video chat or telephone call.  These kinds of visits were put into place to try to control the numbers of those getting infected and to protect the medical staff that was going to be in serious need.

Benefits and Drawbacks to Telehealth Care

The tricky thing about telehealth care is that one benefit could also be seen as a drawback.  By not seeing your doctor in person you are cutting down on the probability of infecting others, but you also may not be getting the most “hands on” and effective treatment.  This one is really a case of how serious your reason for the visit is and whether or not you should be seen in person.  Other pros and drawbacks include:

Pros:

• You don’t have to wait in a waiting room.  Your doctor will make the call or video chat when it is time.
• You don’t have to waste time and money on gas to get to the doctor
• Faster service

Drawbacks:

• If you have a physical ailment, the most you will be seen is on camera, so the doctor may not get the best look at the problem.
• If you have to take any kind of tests, this cannot be done through telehealth services
• Same with medicine, most doctors will not subscribe any medication to you unless you are physically seen.

As a rule of thumb, it may be best to conduct telehealth visits for when the issue is very small and you don’t have to be necessarily seen.  Telehealth visits are also very handy for when it is a visit of mental health, such as therapy and psychiatry appointments.

Telehealth Care’s “Big Splash” with Mental Health

One very big reason for telehealth care’s big success with mental health and mental health awareness is because patients don’t have to go physically see the doctor and it cuts down on the nervousness and shame that comes with the social stigma of seeing a professional.

The reality is that in this day and age we shouldn’t be having these negative feelings towards mental health.  Unfortunately, they are alive and well, however, telehealth care is helping with that burden by giving patients the opportunity to use their own home as a safe space to conduct visits.

Patients can safely and privately discuss conditions in their own home, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Disease Counseling
• Health Coaching
• Other Mental Illnesses

Seeing the increase in the amount of people seeking mental help is a big reason why telehealth care is so important after the pandemic.

Changes

It was to be expected that we saw a lot of changes in health care when phasing in telehealth care services.  There were changes in payment, privacy, and the way you saw your doctor overall.  It is easy to understand how some of these changes made patients uneasy.

Changes in Payment

To put it simply, medical insurance companies were not ready for the telehealth care change.  Many insurances did not cover telehealth care simply because we never needed before.  Unfortunately, Covid-19 made it a necessity and therefore insurance companies had to scramble to put money into it to make it possible.

But, how do you pay for services when you’re not physically there?  You provide it via online forms and taking pictures of your cards.  It’s easy to see why some people would be uneasy with that.  However, it was a necessity and once the deed was done, you got to your doctor.

Changes in Privacy

Believe it or not some doctors were afraid of “Zoom bombing” once telehealth started to take effect. “Zoom bombing” is when disruptive, uninvited users force their way into a virtual meeting.  It is a scary thought , but strange things happen when utilizing the Internet.  Guardrails, such as periodic audits, have been suggested to keep up with security during these changes, but drastic issues have yet to be seen.

It would be very difficult for some patients to switch back from telehealth care to office care, especially in the area of mental health.  If not for any other reason at all, telehealth care should be taken seriously due to the good it’s done in the realm of mental health.  Making patients feel safe in any way is always a win.

Last Update Oct 16, 2022 @ 5:22 pm

The field of medicine has evolved and grown with the world around it, creating new ways in which we receive our care and interact with medical professionals. One of these ways is the advent of telemedicine, in which a patient receives care at a remote location over a video or telephone connection, a service contained within the broader field of telehealth, which provides all of the administrative and supportive aspects of the healthcare field. In this article, we’ll cover some of the defining characteristics of the two fields, as well as some pros and cons of both.

Telemedicine vs Telehealth

Through the Covid pandemic, we all got used to using video calls to perform what used to be ordinary functions of our lives. Many people saw their doctors’ visits transition to remote or video conferences, to slow the spread of the disease. This is a form of telemedicine, and it provides numerous benefits, as well as drawbacks, to in-person medical visits.  

Supporting the field of telemedicine is a litany of professionals, who perform functions known as telehealth. This can encompass all the necessary supportive aspects of telemedicine that must be performed alongside direct patient care. Some of these tasks are:

• Doctor or provider training
• Administrative meetings and support
• Continuing medical education

While many use the term telehealth to encompass clinical care as well, it’s important to note the distinction between the terms. It may seem like they are synonyms, but telehealth can be understood more effectively as the “back of the house” that supports and scaffolds the “front of the house” direct care provided by telemedicine.  

Pros and Cons of Telemedicine

The ubiquitous video calls we all got used to during Covid were certainly more convenient and easy than leaving the house. However, in the field of medicine, that convenience could make the difference between life or death, or access to critical care or not. The accessibility and convenience of telemedicine are a huge benefit for some of the most vulnerable in society. 

In addition, there are other benefits as well. Employers find it cheaper to run telemedicine visits, as the operating and overhead costs of the building are lowered. In addition, there can be better access to specialists, and some providers report increased patient engagement due to the online format. 

However, this type of medicine is not without downsides, as well.   NPR reports that almost two-thirds of the population would prefer an in-person appointment. This is mainly due to increased personal connection and feeling that matters are taken and addressed more seriously and urgently in person than online.  

Telemedicine can lead to reduced care continuity as well, where a patient can feel like they are merely seeing a rotating and shifting cast of disconnected online personas, rather than a person who they meet regularly and feel is taking their care seriously. The technical training and equipment that telemedicine needs require extensive training, and are prone to malfunctions. Sometimes, video health conferences can lead to confusion when it comes to billing and insurance issues.

Overall, do the benefits outweigh the downsides? The answer varies from person to person, but video health conferences seem to be here to stay, at least alongside in-person doctor visits. In the court of public opinion, the convenience and accessibility seem to have won out over the potential loss of personal connection and communication.

Pros and Cons of Telehealth

Telehealth as a wider, more administrative field, divorced from clinical aspects of patient care covered under telemedicine, adapts well to video or remote work. Fields like this that are already largely technology and office-based, revolving around meetings and conferences, can work well in a technological and remote environment.

Most importantly, this supportive field doesn’t have to worry about the personal touch required of telemedicine, in which the doctor must personally interact with their patients. This personal touch can have a profound and powerful effect on the healing process of patients.  

Some of the cons of remote telehealth work could be a loss of personal interaction with the staff and potential decreased productivity. Many companies, since the Covid pandemic, have found that a mixed or partial remote/in-person work environment facilitates a high level of employee satisfaction and productivity.

Best of Both Worlds

Like most things in our world, different types of medical treatment will work best for different people. Some will never give up the personal connection, but others may have found an answer to their problems in remote medical visits. For those with mental health issues like agoraphobia or even just anxiety, leaving the house can be an arduous and difficult process.

If history has shown us one thing, it’s that the changes wrought by technology are here to stay. The way we interact with people and the world around us has evolved, and doctor’s visits and medicine are no exception. Telemedicine and telehealth can lead to a healthier, more accessible, and more inclusive world for us all.