Telehealth encompasses providing virtual medical, health and education services through a wide range of telecommunication technologies such as video conferencing, remote monitoring devices etc. In the last few years, the extensive availability and acceptance of advanced technology has increased the use of Telehealth applications. The foundation of Telehealth technology is supported by two main concepts, the first is for decreased travel time and the other one is related to cost. In the healthcare industry, Telehealth is changing rapidly and bringing new opportunities.
Telehealth mainly focuses on preventive care for remediating a critical medical condition. Nowadays, Telehealth includes remote, regular home-based monitoring via emails, the internet, phones, mobile apps and a devoted computer terminal using telecommunication-ready gadgets. This also involves services that are provided through medical organizations and other facilities, which regularly involve remote consultations and treatment by professionals.
Recent Telehealth Market Stats
Here are some key stats about the telehealth market:
- The global telehealth market size is expected to reach $1,211.14 billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 22.5%.
- Around 76.8% of hospitals in the USA are using telehealth services to connect with patients remotely.
- Nearly 4.2 medicare patients are taking remote medical care.
- In 2024, more than 116 million users prefer having virtual consultations with doctors to in-person meetings.
- Now, 64% of millennials prefer telehealth appointments and utilize digital healthcare.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is referred to as the use of technology by hospitals to deliver medical care services to patients, especially in those areas where delivering medical care is challenging. It helps to connect doctors and patients remotely through the internet and get personalized care for patients at their homes. There are a variety of medical services that can be delivered with technology, including:
- Virtual Consultation
- Remote patient monitoring
- Patient documents
- E-prescriptions
- Medicine alerts and reminders
Telehealth Today
We can say that Telehealth is the practice of using digital information and communication technology, with the help of computers and mobile devices, to get easy access to health facilities, and to control health care. It is something that you can use from home, or that your doctor can use to enhance or support health care.
Growing Demand
The demand for telehealth is growing at a tremendous rate because right now we can observe that there is a shortage of physicians in primary care as well as in many specialities (dermatology, mental health and neurology). Telemedicine can help to fill the gaps between the supply and demand of doctors and can help in building care spots at home. Also, one of the major reasons for the growth of telehealth is its low fee for videoconferencing.
Improving the Patient/Physician Interaction
With telemedicine, you can have real-time interaction between patients and doctors. Also, one of the biggest advantages of telemedicine is that it is free from any time and distance barriers. A patient can get treatment anywhere and anytime without stepping out of the home.
Telehealth cuts down on hospital readmissions
Many patients make unnecessary and high-cost trips to the emergency room or urgent care clinics to get the care they need, especially after an acute health issue. With increasing anxiety about COVID-19 symptoms, many people are looking for immediate care in person, which increases their risk of exposure to something serious. Also, educating patients about telemedicine technology can help in reducing hospital readmission costs.
Read Also: Benefits of Telehealth for Patients and Providers
Telehealth in Future
Both telehealth and telemedicine have proved themselves to provide tremendous benefits to both doctors and patients, and this is the reason why telehealth has become one of the most exciting evolutions of healthcare. The ability to perform remote patient visits and track their rehabilitation has increased access to quality care by reducing healthcare delivery obstacles such as distance, accessibility and time constraints.
Telehealth continues to grow globally at an accelerated rate. The market is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.9 per cent by 2025 as more hospitals and healthcare facilities are engaging in providing healthcare access online. Telehealth can reduce healthcare costs, increase patient outreach and health outcomes, and work towards how providers treat their patients.
Telehealth can become more advanced by constantly investing in new technologies and services. Also, it is helping physicians support their patients and respond to emerging health emergencies, including the coronavirus.
It is found that Telehealth can meet the demands of hospital care while reducing the transmission of viruses, stretching human and technological resources and protecting patients and healthcare workers in the hospital environment.
Read Also: What is Telehealth | Advantage and Benefits for Clinic
While this vision for the future of telehealth is one many startups are betting on, it depends largely on healthy infrastructure. And it is also true that in some of the least healthy parts of the country, accessible mobile and fixed-line broadband service is a real problem. Videoconferencing with a remote doctor requires a high-quality steady signal. And some of the things that we’re going to ask for digital health to do in the future — like transmitting high-resolution medical imaging — may require quicker, commercial-grade connections.
Trends in Telehealth
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence has gained huge popularity across industries, and one industry where it has made a significant impact is healthcare. Nowadays, AI is playing a crucial role in telehealth and allows healthcare professionals and hospitals to utilize the power of AI to deliver medical services more efficiently and accurately to patients.
For example, AI is now helping analyze patients’ medical history and spot potential health issues. AI-powered devices collect and analyse real-time patients’ health data, which are used to find insights in medical imaging like X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, which are unable to be seen by the naked eye of professionals. AI helps professionals deliver medical care more efficiently and enhance patients’ outcomes.
Want to revolutionize patient care with telehealth?
Discover our seamless telemedicine solutions and elevate your practice today!
Connect NowConclusion
When we look into the future, then, telehealth is going to be an integral part of the healthcare sector. It will continuously advance medical services, help professionals deliver medical care more efficiently to patients, and improve patients’ health outcomes. From remote patient monitoring to finding insights in medical imaging, healthcare professionals get valuable insights about the patients to deliver better patient care and enhance the overall patient experience. We hope this guide helps you understand the role of telehealth, its importance in the healthcare sector, and some upcoming trends that are causing a significant boost in telehealth.
Nowadays, every healthcare organization prefers using telemedicine platforms to deliver their medical series remotely. If you’re also planning to build a telemedicine platform for your organization, then DreamSoft4U is a one-stop solution for building a tailored telemedicine platform within budget and timeline. Connect with our experts today!
FAQs
1. How has telehealth impacted the healthcare industry?
Telehealth has significantly impacted the healthcare industry by enabling virtual consultations, routine check-ups, and follow-up appointments, as well as improving patient care.
2. What is the biggest challenge in telehealth?
The biggest challenges in telehealth are regulatory challenges, limited physical examination, clear communication issues and security concerns.
3. Who benefits the most from telemedicine?
All those people who are living in rural areas where health care services are limited get immense benefits from telehealth services. Because now they can get the specialist consultation remotely without worrying about physical distance.
4. How does remote patient monitoring work?
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) allows healthcare professionals to monitor patients’ health data like blood pressure, heart rate, or blood glucose levels and immediately spot potential issues to provide personalized care to patients.
5. How does telemedicine work?
Telemedicine is a platform that allows both doctors and patients to connect on a digital platform to do virtual consultations through video calls or live chat systems. So that patients and doctors can communicate without in-person meetings.
