Why American Healthcare Needs Telehealth
In simple terms, telehealth is the use of telecommunication and digital technology to access healthcare services. The providers and patients connect virtually over the internet using smartphones, tablets, or computers. This was a highly novel concept that was toyed around with by healthcare professionals as well as medical technology companies. But it took a deadly pandemic for the idea of telehealth solutions to be taken seriously.
What Makes Telehealth Attractive?
Regular in-person healthcare involves patients going to a clinic physically for consultation with a physician. While this has been the norm since time immemorial, it hasn’t worked well for people who live in rural locations or people facing difficulties in transportation (especially seniors and disabled individuals). Telehealth systems can bring medical care to them irrespective of the distance from a hospital or clinic. This advantage is remarkably beneficial for patients who require specialist care, which is mostly available in metropolitan cities.
The prospect of not having to travel to a clinic physically seemed very alluring. But the healthcare industry was slow to adopt it. Finally, it took a pandemic for attitudes to change and for policymakers to begin taking it seriously. The coronavirus forced everyone to remain indoors and hospital waiting rooms carried a significant risk of becoming hotspots of infection. But with telemedicine applications, people could seek the care they needed without leaving their homes.
The Role of Telehealth on Mental Healthcare
Nearly one in five American adults suffers from a mental health problem. Health experts have even agreed that this is a national health crisis. However, care for mental health remains abysmal in the country, as people need to wait for a long time to get a consultation. Moreover, a third of the people live in regions that lack any mental care professionals. They would need to travel hundreds, or even thousands of miles to see a therapist.
But advanced telemedicine solutions have the potential to extend the outreach of mental care across the country. People no longer have to travel long distances or wait for months to get a consultation. Better yet, they could get one from the privacy of their own homes. The prospect of accessing a therapist anywhere in the country using a personal device from the privacy of one’s own home would go a long way in encouraging more people to see a therapist.
The stigma around seeking mental health care prevents even the most rational people from actually seeking it. Many experts have stated that telemedicine applications, with the privacy and accessibility they provide, would actually help change the conservation around mental health.
Care for Elders
Seniors living alone at home or at assisted living facilities often struggle with their own care. They rely on close family, or on caregivers for their medical needs. But age-related physical disabilities, or patients with degenerative diseases may not be able to travel. Coupled with problems in transportation, healthcare for institutionalized elders is a major challenge.
But telehealth takes away the need for in-person visits, thereby making quality care more accessible for vulnerable seniors.
Telehealth has demonstrated the potential for addressing many challenges that plague American healthcare, the biggest of all being that of inequity. A telehealth monitoring system at hospitals and clinics can reduce the cost of care and increase its accessibility, without any significant investment.
