Telemedicine refers to the use of electronic information to communicate and support healthcare in situations when the distance separates the healthcare providers and the patients. It involves the exchange of electronic data from one location to another through electronic means (Baker & Stanley, 2018). During telecommunication, the users implement various applications such as wireless tools, emails, two-way video, and smartphones. This essay will analyze the benefits and shortcomings of telemedicine. It is, therefore, essential to analyze the benefits and weaknesses of telemedicine because it helps healthcare providers to implement effective strategies for using the technology.
Background Information on Telehealth
The history of telemedicine dates back to fourth years go when the hospitals extended their services in remote locations. Thomas Bird invented the term and it means “healing at a distance.” The invention of various communication tools, such as the telegraph and telephone, to send messages and communicate over long distances (Dorsey & Topol, 2020). In particular, the telegraph was a game changer in the invention of telemedicine because it involved the transfer of health-related information.
Telemedicine has grown rapidly and has become part of hospital facilities that deliver healthcare services. The growth of technology in society has led to the use of telemedicine in areas such as primary care and services that require consultation between primary care and allied healthcare professionals. Next, the technology is used in monitoring patients in remote areas and allows delivery of home health services. Telemedicine tools are used to collect and send patient data from remote regions to healthcare agencies. Health and medical information involves the use of wireless devices that allow consumers to access specialized health information and groups to engage in peer-to-peer support.
Benefits of Telemedicine
Telemedicine enables the transfer of information between the patient and the healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are expanding the use of telehealth, especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic (Carlton et al., 2020). Also, the improved use of technology in healthcare facilities has enabled the easier use and delivery of healthcare services. Firstly, the use of telemedicine leads to better patient outcomes. Telemedicine is effective in reducing infection risks and allows healthcare providers to have better access to patients from a safer location (Khamapech et al., 2019). The use of telemedicine helps patients with compromised health risks to have lower health risks. The use of telemedicine in healthcare facilities also leads to better patient outcomes because the patients have easier access to healthcare education tools, such as the use of educational videos, which enhances direct communication, thus improving patient satisfaction.
Next, telemedicine enhances access to healthcare services by people in remote areas. The current trend of closure of healthcare facilities has affected thousands of individuals and limited their ability to access healthcare services. The trend has also affected individuals from marginalized communities to access quality health healthcare services. In particular, the underserved individuals in rural areas and people with disabilities have access to care from their homes. Therefore, telemedicine has solved the challenges of access to quality care by providing a way for people to see a doctor before they get incredibly sick.
Telemedicine is also cost-effective. The use of telehealth helps healthcare providers to offer less expensive alternatives to healthcare, unlike in-person healthcare services. According to research by E-visit, it costs a patient $43 just in lost time. The amount is in addition to the medical bill. According to this research, using telehealth is an effective way of saving time and benefitting patients, especially in situations when they require frequent appointments.
Telemedicine is also effective in healthcare delivery because it leads to better assessment. Using telemedicine helps practitioners monitor patient conditions in their home environment. This is an effective strategy because it allows the healthcare providers to monitor the root causes of the healthcare conditions and assess the surroundings that cause the healthcare conditions. For instance, it is easy for neurologists and physical therapists to observe and evaluate the ability of individuals to navigate and take care of themselves. Telehealth is, therefore, a great way of conducting mental health assessment and counseling.
The application of telecommunication in healthcare facilities is practical because it leads to care coordination and collaboration in healthcare facilities. The use of telehealth enhances the coordination of healthcare providers because it helps providers have access to patient’s medical records and care plans. The providers are also able to collaborate and ensure that quality care is provided to all the patients in the healthcare families. The collaboration entails information sharing and evidence-based practices during service delivery.
Telemedicine is also an effective way to help organizations to expand their patient base. Through telemedicine, patients can access healthcare services from the comfort of their own. This advantage allows the patients to access quality healthcare services. Physicians can enhance the expansion of the patient base and strengthen their relationship with patients. Through the use of telemedicine, it is possible to connect patients with their geographical region. The expansion of healthcare services is an effective way to provide quality services by physicians who provide primary care, referral services, and medical education. Patients also prefer access to quality care over in-person interactions. This means that adding telemedicine services to healthcare facilities is an effective way of attracting new patients.
Lastly, telemedicine is an effective way of controlling infectious illnesses. The doctors and the providers use telemedicine as a way of monitoring the patient’s condition. Telemedicine technology is effective because it leads to better management of the conditions. After all, the healthcare providers do not need to present themselves physically in the healthcare facilities. Less exposure to the germs helps everyone and is effective in meeting positive healthcare outcomes.
Shortcomings of Telemedicine
While telehealth has significant advantages to the healthcare outcomes of patients in healthcare facilities, it still has shortcomings. The rapid growth of technology has seen significant challenges in managing its use. The following is an analysis of the weaknesses of telemedicine.
The first challenge when using telemedicine is the need for adequate telemedicine equipment and technology. During service delivery, the healthcare facilities need to have important equipment for remote health services such as chronic patient monitoring, therapy appointments, and post-operative care. The services mentioned above require software and hardware to run, which is costly. On some occasions, the organization needs to acquire training and hire additional staff to run the IT equipment, which is expensive. Telemedicine technology might also have technical glitches. The failure of the equipment also leads to a halt in communication and high office visits per day.
Next, another drawback of telemedicine is high data security risks. Healthcare facilities must ensure that patient information is protected from unauthorized access. Some of the security features include additional encryptions and data security provisions. However, several healthcare facilities do not have proper security features to store patient information, and this involves checking the sensible data on the phone Alenoghena et al., 20323)
Besides, telemedicine is associated with delayed care. The use of telemedicine may lead to challenges, such as access to emergency services in the critical care units. In particular, telemedicine use may delay the delivery of healthcare services in situations where there is low internet bandwidth. The delays in healthcare delivery can lead to adverse healthcare outcomes.
Industry barriers and regulatory concerns are also critical shortcomings related to the use of telemedicine. Telemedicine regulations vary from state to state, and this makes it complicated to manage the use of technology. In this case, the physicians need help in figuring out what is required in order to meet the telemedicine guidelines in their respective states. In addition, some telemedicine tools fall in the grey areas of security. This has led to privacy concerns that are a significant hindrance to the provision of high-quality healthcare services (Nittari et al., 2020).
For healthcare providers, the technology allows minimal patient examination. During the online consultations with the patients through the online platforms, the providers depend on the patient’s self-reports and the lab test results. In such cases, the providers may lack crucial information that might help the patients achieve high-quality healthcare outcomes. When using telemedicine, the providers may depend on asking for additional information to access information about the health issues of the patients in the healthcare facilities. Insurance is crucial in medicine and health because it enhances the access and affordability of healthcare costs. Since the use of telemedicine is new in the market, effective insurance policies are needed. Only some of the insurance providers have telemedicine coverage. This makes it difficult for patients to afford and effectively use telemedicine as an option to access healthcare services.
In summary, telemedicine refers to the use of electronic information to communicate and support healthcare facilities in situations where distance separates the providers and the patients. This essay has analyzed the advantages of using telemedicine, such as the achievement of better patient outcomes, enhanced access to healthcare services, cost-effectiveness, better assessment of the patients, and promotion of coordination and collaboration. On the other hand, the shortcomings associated with the technology include lack of adequate equipment and technology, data security issues, delayed care, industry barriers, and geographical barriers. The challenges lead to poor healthcare outcomes due to breach of patient data, lack of access to telemedicine resources, and lack of resources to fully implement the technology. It is, therefore, essential to promote patient education, provide resources, and install security features.
References
Alenoghena, C. O., Ohize, H. O., Adejo, A. O., Onumanyi, A. J., Ohihoin, E. E., Balarabe, A. I., … & Alenoghena, B. (2023). Telemedicine: a survey of telecommunication technologies, developments, and challenges. Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks, 12(2), 20.
Baker, J., & Stanley, A. (2018). Telemedicine technology: a review of services, equipment, and other aspects. Current allergy and asthma reports, 18, 1-8.
Calton, B., Abedini, N., & Fratkin, M. (2020). Telemedicine in the time of coronavirus. Journal of pain and symptom management, 60(1), e12-e14.
Dorsey, E. R., & Topol, E. J. (2020). Telemedicine 2020 and the next decade. The Lancet, 395(10227), 859.
Khemapech, I., Sansrimahachai, W., & Toachoodee, M. (2019). Telemedicine–meaning, challenges, and opportunities. Siriraj medical journal, 71(3), 246-252.
Nittari, G., Khuman, R., Baldoni, S., Pallotta, G., Battineni, G., Sirignano, A., … & Ricci, G. (2020). Telemedicine practice: review of the current ethical and legal challenges. Telemedicine and e-Health, 26(12), 1427-1437.
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