Is Telehealth our Future? What You Need to Know

Telehealth is healthcare that is provided remotely. Often, people are unable to receive the services they need due to full schedules at clinics and hospitals. In recent years, there has been an abundance of research surrounding telehealth, and its uses, one of which is filling in the gaps when patients cannot get in-person care. It is also often less expensive than in-person care, which is what draws many people to remote medical visits. As telehealth continues to grow, more and more people are using it for an increasing variety of health concerns.

How do you use telehealth?

Telehealth can be used to replace many in-person medical visits. It is especially useful for visits to be short and straight to the point, such as appointments made for medication refills or easily diagnosed health issues like a sore throat. The AHA states that as of 2016, over 50% of hospitals are using telehealth for patient monitoring. Here are some things that telehealth is frequently used for:

  • Check-ups to see how current prescriptions or treatments are going
  • Routine prescription management
  • Behavioral health concerns such as anxiety and depression
  • The first-line form of contact for issues such as GI problems or skin problems that require a referral https://mhealth intelligence.com/news/telemedicine-closes-the-gap-in-specialty-referrals to a gastroenterologist, dermatologist, or another specialist that you might see in person
  • Dietetics
  • Medical visits for the elderly or disabled who may not be able to make it to a physical office easily

What doesn’t fall under telehealth?

You can’t receive surgery via telehealth. However, as stated above, even for severe medical conditions that require intensive care, telehealth can be a supplement. You also can’t use telehealth for the following:

  • X-rays
  • Life-threatening emergencies that require an emergency room visit
  • Therapies such as light therapy that need you to be in a physical office (note that while particular therapies might not be conducted via telehealth, they might be able to be prescribed)
  • IV treatments
  • Ongoing medical issues that aren’t resolved by telehealth visits

The projected growth of telehealth

Since the use of telemedicine continues to grow in the world of hospitals, specialty clinics, doctors’ offices, and mental health care services, this growth will likely remain on-trend. As the approved uses of telehealth increase, and more research is done to back up the productivity of remote medical visits, more patients and physicians are likely to get involved. By the year 2025, only five years from now, it’s estimated that the market for remote medicine will be worth roughly 16.7 million United States dollars. With all of this in mind, it does appear that increased usage of telehealth is in our future.

Online therapy or counseling

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and as many of us know, they are interconnected. Online therapy is an excellent way to meet your mental health needs. Whether you’re diagnosed with a mental illness, are looking for a couples counselor, or are facing other challenging life circumstances such as grieving the loss of a loved one, an online therapist or counselor can help.