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The Basics of Telemedicine

Covid-19 left a lasting impact on people all over the world. In an instant, there was an immediate need for everything to go digital. Due to quarantine, people needed a way to access healthcare as they became sick or worried that they would. As a result, telemedicine was quickly accepted as the new mode of healthcare.

Telemedicine vs Telehealth

Both telemedicine and telehealth are remote methods of healthcare via technology. However, telehealth is a broader term that includes clinical and non-clinical services. On the other hand, telemedicine only involves clinical services.

Benefits of Telemedicine

Accessibility

Anyone with a mobile device or laptop can access healthcare services through telemedicine. In most cases, people that live in rural areas can’t get to an in-person appointment. So, telehealth is the best solution for this problem.

Convenience

Sometimes patients have medical conditions that make it too hard for them to travel. As a result, people that really need to see a doctor can’t get to an in-person appointment. However, telemedicine offers a way for sick patients to still get the care they need right in the comfort of their home. In addition, patients won’t have to take off work for their visits.

Communication

Telemedicine allows for patients and their healthcare team to communicate easier. In addition, patients will have a more active role in their care.

Self-Management

Patients having more control over their care leads to more quality care. In addition, when patients have access to their records, it allows healthcare professionals to spend less time on trivial work.

Expansion

Patients will have more access to doctors with telehealth services. Since people won’t need to go in-person to see the doctor, the lack of local doctors will no longer be a problem.

Types of Telemedicine

Store-and-Forward

Store-and-forward telemedicine allows patients to skip a visit. Instead, they send images or other information to their doctor. After, their doctor gives them a diagnosis and treatment. In most cases, this type of telemedicine is used in radiology, dermatology, and pathology. This method saves time and money. However, the patient’s treatment relies solely on images rather than a physical examination.

Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring, or self-management, tracks patients’ vitals remotely. As a result, patients save time and money. But there is a chance that a patient’s test results could be wrong since they are doing it themselves. Still, most cases show that remote monitoring has the same results as a professional monitoring a patient.

Virtual Visits

Teleneuropsychology. This is a virtual visit that assesses a patient who is thought to have a cognitive disorder. Standard methods are used to evaluate a patient via video technology. As a result, the standards of this practice must be upheld.
Telepharmacy. Patients use telepharmacy to get advice about prescription medications. In some cases, patients can use this service to refill their medications as well.
Telenursing. This service allows patients to ask nurses questions to reach a diagnosis and monitor symptoms. Telenursing has grown more popular due to lower costs and more access to those in rural areas or with medical conditions that make traveling hard.
Telerehabilitation. Patients who need convenient rehabilitation are the main users of this type of telemedicine. In every case, video visits and webcams are required to discuss symptoms and progress.

Trends in Telemedicine

The investment trends for telemedicine continue to go up and down over time. The trends for the investments for telemedicine are stated by category below.

Virtual Visits

499 companies in the market.
From 2010 to 2020, investments grew by 18X.
Invested capital peaked in 2020 at $2.03 billion.

Remote Monitoring

277 companies in the market.
From 2010 to 2018, investments grew by 8X.
Invested capital peaked in 2020 at $691 million.

Ultimately, the demand for telemedicine increased after Covid and is continuing to grow. Benefits like accessibility and expansion are a few reasons that patients use telemedicine instead of in-person visits. Also, store-and-forward, remote monitoring, and virtual visits offer patients an easier, more convenient approach to healthcare. Overall, telemedicine is most likely here to stay. And although telemedicine is great, it should continue to aid in-person healthcare rather than replace it.

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Yonsei Med J. 2018 Mar;59(2):187-193. doi: 10.3349/ymj.2018.59.2.187. PMID: 29436185; PMCID: PMC5823819. Maslach C, Leiter MP. Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry. 2016 Jun;15(2):103-11. doi: 10.1002/wps.20311. PMID: 27265691; PMCID: PMC4911781. “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action – Mayo Clinic.” 05 Jun. 2021, mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642. Haffizulla FS, Newman C, Kaushal S, Williams CA, Haffizulla A, Hardigan P, Templeton K. Assessment of Burnout: A Pilot Study of International Women Physicians. Perm J. 2020 Sep; 24:1-5. doi: 10.7812/TPP/20.028. PMID: 33482938; PMCID: PMC7849283.
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How to Deal with Depression During the Pandemic

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Telehealth coaching can solve this issue by helping employees implement behavior changes at home. Such an approach doesn’t just fight chronic diseases efficiently, it allows both employees and employers to save time and money. Getting rid of poor habits improves productivity and contributes to a healthy workplace environment. 2. Boosting Employee Satisfaction Top-notch benefits are one of the key reasons whyemployees choose to stay with their current employer (2). By exploring telehealth opportunities, you are giving your staff a highly demanded healthcare option. Virtual care is gaining popularity. It gives patients access to remote specialists regardless of their location. When it comes to chronic condition management, remote assistance is especially important. By giving your staff an opportunity to access telehealth coaches, you are raising employee satisfaction levels. This, in turn, keeps retention rates high. Many growing companies struggle to keep top-notch employees due to the competition from higher-paying businesses. By offering telehealth coaching, your company can stand out from the crowd for its meaningful benefits program. 3. Increasing Performance Levels Chronic diseases account for three-quarters of doctors’ visits. Telehealth coaching allows you to foster a healthier and more engaged workforce. Telehealth gives employees access to the necessary assistance immediately, even when at work. This improves performance levels, reduces anxiety associated with doctors’ visits, and eliminates sick days due to appointments. Research shows (3)that health coaching has long-lasting effects on patients with chronic conditions. Patients who received coaching assistance for 12 months enjoyed the results for up to a year after it was over. 4. Preventing Future Expenses Chronic conditions require regular medical attention. Without proper assistance, they are likely to worsen over time. About 70% of healthcare expenses come from such preventable lifestyle-related conditions like diabetes. With the assistance of a CDCE (Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist), it’s possible tokeep diabetes in check. This can prevent future healthcare expenses for your company and employees. When you consider all healthcare expenses related to undertreated or mistreated chronic conditions, the numbers add up. Proper telehealth coaching and prevention options can help you keep the costs down significantly. 5. Maintaining Control When it comes to chronic conditions, regular doctors’ visits can achieve only a fraction of the care needed by patients. One of the key components of chronic disease prevention and maintenance is regular control. From measuring blood sugar levels to setting up exercise schedules, only a small number of patients are motivated enough to follow through. Telehealth coaches help your employees take control of their chronic issues by staying in touch. One of the key benefits of implementing telemedicine is giving patients direct access to medical professionals and vice versa. By consulting employees regularly, coaches help them stay on the right track. 6. Creating a Healthy Workplace Environment The health of your workplace environment heavily depends on the psychology of your employees. People with chronic conditions may maintain high productivity levels but lose their positive attitude in the process. Telehealth coaching doesn’t just help patients adjust their lifestyle. Coaches work on a positive attitude. They help patients take advantage of their strengths to battle their condition. Such an approach allows people to believe in their abilities and enhances the overall workplace environment. A healthy workplace environment doesn’t just improve retention rates, it attracts top-notch talent and sets you apart from the competition. 7. 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Since the majority of your workforce is likely to suffer from one or more chronic conditions, telehealth coaching isn’t just a nice perk for employees. It’s a necessity.Sources: cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/health-benefits-foster-retention.aspx healthitanalytics.com/news/using-health-coaching-to-improve-chronic-disease-management ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070773/ fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/docs/GrowingCrisisofChronicDiseaseintheUSfactsheet_81009.pdf
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The Basics of Online Companion/Caregiver Support

In general, online companion/caregiver support offers both companionship to elderly patients and support for their caregivers. In fact, both services are only non-medical. On one hand, online companion services offer mental stimulation and companionship. Through mobile apps, elderly people can access animated characters that they can have conversations with, receive reminders to take medication, see pictures uploaded by their family, etc. On the other hand, caregiver support offers a way for caregivers to relieve stress and share their story. In most cases, this service is offered as an online support group. In fact, there are online support groups for different communities like LGBTQ, Spanish-speakers, and young adult caregivers. Traditional Companion/Caregiver Support vs Online Companion/Caregiver Support On one hand, patients must obtain traditional companion/caregiver support in-person. Usually, the person comes to the patient’s home and provides services. On the other hand, online companion/caregiver support only requires the patient to open an app, talk to a provider, or join a group. Then the patient can receive the online companion or caregiver support that they need. Companion Care vs Personal Care While companion care and personal care are quite similar, there are a few differences. In fact, each type of care offers different services, with only a some overlapping. For example, companion care offers these services to the elderly: Companionship/socialization Laundry Meal planning/preparation Feeding Transportation Shopping/errands Reminders about medication Mobility assistance Contrarily, personal care offers services like: Feeding Dressing Bathing/showering Using the restroom Incontinence care Oral hygiene However, with online companion care, elderly patients mainly have access to companionship/socialization, medication reminders, meal planning/ preparation, etc. Pros of Online Companion/Caregiver Support Accessibility Online companion/caregiver support offers more access to people that need these services. For example, there are many patients who live in rural areas. Or they may have medical conditions that make travelling difficult. However, these online services give them a way to still get the care they need. Plus, online care means less in-person visits, which means patients who really need face-to-face interaction with a provider have more access to these types of visits. Time Online companion/caregiver support is beneficial to both patients and employers. With online caregiver support, workers spend less time away from the office. Cost Online companion/caregiver support visits cost far less than traditional visits. In fact, less travel time, in-person visits, and staff are the reasons for the reduced costs. Quality Through convenient services, online companion/caregiver support means that more people will be able to get the care they need. Plus, research shows that these types of online services offer the same quality care as traditional visits. Communication In most cases, studies show that patients prefer modern methods of communication. To be clear, most people prefer virtual communication over face-to-face communication. In addition, they care more about access to care than in-person interactions. Cons of Online Companion/Caregiver Support Comfortability There are a couple scenarios where patients may not feel comfortable using online companion/caregiver support. For example, elderly patients may not be as adaptable to new technology. So, it may take them a while to get used to it if they are able. In addition, some people are more private than others. They may not feel comfortable sharing their stories online with strangers within a caregiver support group. As a result, making these services available online can deter patients rather than draw them in. Ultimately, online companion/caregiver support is beneficial to both the elderly and caregivers. Further, it is growing in popularity due to its many benefits like accessibility, time, cost, quality, and communication. However, lack of comfortability is its drawback. Still, online companion/caregiver support is a great tool for people that need this type of care.
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The Basics of Telemedicine

Telemedicine vs Telehealth

Benefits of Telemedicine

Types of Telemedicine

Trends in Telemedicine

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