The healthcare industry, for all of the good that it does on a daily basis, has several glaring flaws that need to be addressed. Fortunately, telehealth services are fixing many of the problems in the industry by leveraging technology in new ways. Here is how telehealth is fixing the healthcare industry.
Expanding Access to Mental Healthcare
The focus on mental health highlights the need for greater access to mental health services. Many people find that their access to care is limited and requires consistent trips to facilities, which they don’t want to do. By offering these services through telehealth apps, a greater number of people have access to care. Furthermore, they can access care wherever they want to provided that they have access to a compatible device. This should reduce the number of negative outcomes for patients that need mental healthcare to recover.
Making Care Accessible to People with Limitations
People who are homebound often struggle with getting access to care. Without being able to travel to a healthcare facility, they are entirely reliant on doctors that make home visits. Unfortunately, there are not many doctors that do. Telemedicine makes it easier for patients that cannot go to a facility to still receive quality care. With the assistance of a telehealth services, they can work with doctors without any of the travel requirements. This can make a big difference in care outcomes.
Changing the Structure of Healthcare Benefits
Politicians and leaders are beginning to recognize the potential benefits of telehealth services. Because of this, they are pushing insurance programs to support telehealth services for their customers. Doing so would ensure that they can receive care the way that they want to while potentially reducing care costs and insurance costs. The government is even looking into offering Medicare telehealth coverage and services, which will better serve seniors and other patients on Medicare and Medicaid.
Bringing Patients to Specialists
Specialized healthcare can cover a wide range of service needs. Unfortunately, specialist care is more expensive and there is usually a long waiting period for care. Telehealth services make it easier for patients to receive care from specialists. Using a telehealth app, specialists can see more patients in less time.
Another benefit is that many of the preliminary examinations and ongoing care practices can be done without going into the office. For example, guided physical therapy can be done through telehealth services, much like coaching and gym classes can be done. This makes it easier to see a specialist and allows you to stay how and focus on your recovery.
Reducing Healthcare Costs for All
Perhaps one of the best benefits of developing telehealth systems is that telemedicine and telehealth apps can reduce healthcare costs. For patients, there is less of an investment in getting to care providers. Furthermore, the cost of care can decrease since the overhead for providers may go down.
For care providers, telehealth apps can reduce their overhead costs. They can have smaller offices that do not need additional staff members or space for patients. This can drastically reduce their costs, which can be passed along to patients. The costs of maintaining work systems may also be reduced depending on the type of care provided. For example, therapists only need a small workspace for them to sit in. All of the other resources, such as patient information and scheduling operations, can all be handled online from a single device. Less infrastructure investment means lower costs.
Partner with KitelyTech
For many companies, telehealth sounds like a great idea, but they struggle to figure out how to get into telehealth services. At KitleyTech, we have the resources and experience in telehealth development to help you build a solid foundation for your telehealth services. Contact us at (800) 274 2908 to see how we can help you create the right telehealth app for your company.
