Telehealth has been an option for providers and for patents for many years, but in 2020, it became more popular than ever as COVID-19 forced social distancing measures. Doctors and patients who had resisted telehealth before found themselves with little choice but to use it, and now physicians are discovering the real advantages of adopting telehealth options. Here are just four of those advantages.
Telehealth Can Improve Quality of Care
Telemedicine can improve the quality of care for patients with both medical and mental health conditions. A recent study showed that with telehealth, patients had:
- 38% fewer hospital admissions
- 31% fewer hospital re-admissions
- Shorter hospital stays
- More engagement with their healthcare plans
Part of the reason for improved care is that telemedicine makes it easier and more convenient for patients to stay connected to providers. Patients enjoy the convenience, flexibility and real-time care with their physician, and it is much easier for patents to schedule and keep follow-up exams when they can do a video call from home or even from work, rather than travelling to the doctor’s office.
Telehealth Improves Provider Satisfaction
Telemedicine makes it easier for physicians to meet with patients and can drastically improve work-life balance for both doctors and staff. Physicians can schedule full days around telehealth appointments, allowing teams to see more patients in less time without sacrificing time with each patient.
Telehealth Increases Access To Care
How many times have you seen a patient who put off diagnostics or treatment because they didn’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to make and get to an appointment? Getting to the doctor can be a challenge for elderly, low-income and rural patients who lack access to reliable transportation. Telehealth overcomes these barriers and can be extremely beneficial for rural areas or areas where physician shortages exist.
Telehealth Enhances Traditional Care
The Foundation for high-quality care is a strong doctor-patient relationship. Telemedicine can be used to enhance face-to-face care to build those relationships by providing flexibility and convenience for brief check-ups, follow-up visits and educational visits.
Is Your Practice or Facility Ready for the “New Normal?”
Telehealth will continue to expand long after social distancing is history. Healthcare providers will need to adapt in order to meet changing needs and demands. If you have healthcare openings, you need to fill with staff who are ready to tackle this evolving landscape, talk to the experts at Employment Professionals Canada today. We look forward to helping you serve your patients.