The Uses For Telehealth Today

By Frances Sanders


For people who live in rural communities, getting adequate medical care used to be somewhat of a challenge. They either had to trust in the services that were available in their immediate area or they had to drive dozens or even hundreds of miles away from home just to see a doctor. Sometimes the choice can down to for what they had the time and the money. Today, however, people living in rural areas have the option of utilizing telehealth services instead of driving to bigger cities.

Also known as telemedicine, this service involves broadcasting and connecting healthcare facilities and providers in remote areas to hospitals, doctors' offices, and specialists in bigger cities. The connection is often established with wireless Internet. It allows mobile health clinic, rural hospitals, and doctors' offices in small towns to meet and speak virtually with providers located in larger cities often miles away.

The doctor on the other end of the connection can speak in real-time with the patient or the rural healthcare facility provider. The patient avoids making a lengthy drive or having to be transported by ambulance to another facility. The connection is instant and secure, allowing a discreet yet professional meeting to take place right then and there.

The physician in the small town likewise can show medical records and share other information as needed with the other healthcare provider. He or she does not have to fax, email, or mail the documents. All he or she has to do is hold them up to the camera in order for the provider to read them. The patient benefits because this individual gets fast help for a variety of medical conditions.

It also saves patients time and money. The virtual meetings could be billed as regular doctors' visits to patients' insurance. The insurance would then cover it as a regular expense rather than as a specialty visit. The patients also would not need a referral in order to have their medical care paid for or to receive treatment for a variety of health conditions.

In a life threatening situation, this virtual connection could end up saving someone's life. If, for example, a person comes to the hospital with a debilitating injury or illness, he or she might not be stable enough to transport to a bigger hospital. The treating doctor might need to consult with a specialist virtually in order to stabilize the person. This individual would then be able to be transported safely.

Paying for these services to be set up sometimes falls outside of a rural facility's budget. In order to afford it, they often must seek out and utilize grants given out by the federal government for this purpose. They also have the option of partnering with a larger facility that wants to benefit smaller facilities in this way.

Telemedicine is changing the way people seek out and get medical care. Many people who live in the smallest and most remote of areas no longer have to travel miles out of the way just to see a doctor. They can get the treatments they need and meet virtually with specialists if necessary from their hometowns. They end up saving a lot of time, money, and hassle in looking and feeling better.




About the Author: