Health

Is Telehealth our Future? What You Need to Know

By Nicolas Rivera

March 24, 2020

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 , one of which is filling in the gaps when patients cannot get in-person care. It is also often less expensive than in-person , 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 that as of 2016, over 50% of hospitals are using telehealth for patient monitoring. Here are some things that telehealth is frequently used for:

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:

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 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. 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.