Recent advancements in health technology have propelled many
patients to obtain an active part in their care. The recent pandemic around the globe has
taught us that barriers still exist to healthcare further creating greater inequalities
amongst various populations. Telehealth is a form of communication via phone,
computer, or another electronic device that enables patients to access a medical
provider for healthcare needs. The advantages for a patient are convenience, affordability,
and patient satisfaction (Bagchi et al., 2018). With the use of
telehealth, patients can gain access to a provider well beyond normal business
hours including nights and weekends. Most health insurance plans strongly
advocate for the usage of telehealth to increase cost savings to the patient
and the health plan. Once cost savings are understood and passed down to the insurers
of the health plan, they are more likely to take full advantage of this benefit.
Higher satisfaction is seen from the usage of telehealth because patients feel
that the provider is paying attention to hear their needs versus their time
being split amongst 10 other patients in an office setting. In contrast, not
all patients view telehealth as beneficial. Patients may lack trust in technology
with their private health concerns. In addition, some patients may not have reliable
access to the Internet and device to conduct telehealth visits. Another disadvantage
is those patients who lack technology literacy and may not understand the language
involvement required to begin the telehealth visit (Bagchi et al., 2018).
Healthcare providers also benefit from using telehealth with their patients. They gain increased access to patients for care continuity, provides flexible hours, and decreased travel to office setting (Mills et al., 2020). Providers work long hours and often travel to different office settings if they work for a group practice. Telehealth can afford them the convenience to work from home or a location of their choosing while still providing quality care to patients. In contrast, there can be disadvantages experienced by them as well when attempting to provide care via telehealth. Patient privacy and increased chances of litigation are at stake when using these online platforms. Additionally, technology can experience glitches and delays depending on the network used potentially causing inefficiencies in health delivery (Mills et al., 2020). Another disadvantage is the restriction to see patients within your state because laws and health plans have stipulations for repayment of services. Overall, the benefits outweigh the cons of the usage of telehealth. Hopefully, patients will continue to seek this type of service to bridge the gap in inequality of care while seeking more convenient ways to manage their health.
References
Allied
National. (2021, January 27). Telehealth benefit [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/nIgNaRXKrqs
Bagchi,
A. D., Melamed, B., Yeniyurt, S., Holzemer, W., & Reyes, D. (2018).
Telemedicine delivery for urban seniors with low computer literacy: A pilot study. Online
Journal of Nursing Informatics, 22(2), 11–1.
Mills,
E. C., Savage, E., Lieder, J., & Chiu, E. S. (2020). Telemedicine and the
COVID-19 pandemic: Are we ready to go live? Advances in Skin &
Wound Care, 33(8), 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ASW.0000669916.01793.93
The
value of telehealth in a connected system. (n.d). [Infographic]. Kaiser Permanente. https://business.kaiserpermanente.org/kp-difference/high-quality-care/telehealth-value-in-connected-system
Thomson,
K. (2021, May 10). Congress: Act now to ensure telehealth access to Medicare
beneficiaries. [Infographic]. Health Affairs. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210505.751442/full/
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