Telehealth is revolutionizing how healthcare is provided, becoming more efficient, cost-effective, accessible and personal than ever.
Physicians and patients alike love telehealth for its convenience and user-friendliness; it saves both money on co-pays and deductibles while cutting travel time between doctor visits.
1. Personalized Care
Telehealth environments allow patients to communicate directly with healthcare providers without long wait times, automating prescription refills, scheduling appointments and connecting over video calls – as well as sending forms directly to phones or tablets for completion and signature.
Telemedicine technologies also enable healthcare providers to identify trends in patient data and make tailored recommendations, providing more insight into what’s happening with each individual and providing them with all of the data needed for proactive care.
With this technology, doctors are now able to deliver tailored care at just the right moment and place for individual patients – eliminating complications and saving costs while improving patient experiences. In 2023, personalized medicine will become the norm across healthcare.
2. More Cost-Effective
Telemedicine consultations offer an affordable option for both patients and providers, helping reduce in-person healthcare expenses significantly. Telemedicine has thus become increasingly cost-effective for both parties involved.
Telemedicine’s cost-effectiveness also reduces financial strain for at-risk communities during times of health crisis, according to the American Medical Association. Virtual care may also serve as a vital means of combatting longstanding health inequities among at-risk patients from marginalized racial and economic backgrounds.
Companies that can differentiate themselves in the industry with patent-backed technologies will be well positioned to take advantage of the growing telemedicine trend and expand their businesses. Unfortunately, telemedicine currently suffers from several restrictions including regulatory barriers and reimbursement issues; successfully overcoming these limitations will be essential to its continued success.
3. Accessible
Telemedicine makes it easier for patients to connect with their physicians from anywhere around the world and access healthcare services at times most convenient for them – including after-hours.
Patients can use videoconferencing software to connect with their doctors and remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices to track vitals. RPM technology utilizes sensors and mobile devices to collect vitals data like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, temperature and more.
These devices are much smaller and more portable than what doctors traditionally carry around, making them perfect for remote areas where accessing care may not be feasible. Companies like Teladoc, Amwell and Kry are at the forefront of patent filings related to RPM technologies.
4. More Accurate
Even though much progress remains, technology has transformed healthcare and made it more accurate. Telemedicine makes diagnosing illnesses simpler while inpatient hospital stays can now be performed at much less expense in outpatient clinics.
Healthcare has also become more personalized thanks to technology. Patients can now locate physicians that specialize in their needs, schedule appointments with them over the phone or online and compare physicians using tools like Google reviews before making their choice.
Teladoc and Doctor on Demand lead the telemedicine industry in terms of patent filings, an important indicator of innovation and competition within this sector. Their patents cover technologies like virtual medical consultations and remote patient monitoring.
5. Robotics
Robots can assist healthcare workers with many of the daily tasks that they must tackle, from placing orders to sanitizing rooms. Robots can take over many routine duties that would typically require additional staff members.
Robots in telemedicine have become a great solution to address healthcare professionals shortage and provide remote areas with timely care. Human-sized telerobots are used for monitoring patients, communicating effectively and providing timely and specialised patient care remotely.
Robots offer healthcare providers several opportunities, including inserting stimulation devices directly into Parkinson’s patients to treat symptoms like muscle spasms. Furthermore, robots can remove plaque from arteries and take tissue biopsies; as well as perform minimally invasive surgery procedures. Healthcare organizations rely on robots to save both time and money while improving patient care quality.
