When people think of the doctors office, they are likely to imagine traveling to a physical location, waiting in a room full of magazines, and then seeing a family doctor. But this is the 21st century, and mostly every service imaginable is now provided by professionals on the internet, including healthcare. In fact, telehealth is a burgeoning new industry, and has to potential to a do lot of good by bringing people healthcare and consultations in situations where they might not previously had access to them. Indeed, there are many benefits of telehealth.
For instance, many people live very far away from the nearest emergency health clinic, or are unable to afford traditional medical care. For them, telehealth could save lives in the time it would take for them to get to the nearest hospital.
Another benefit is the savings in cost. When consultations are done over the phone or with video, everyone is saving time and money from transportation costs, and equipment supplies. Telemedicine could potentially deliver more than $6 billion a year in healthcare savings to U.S. companies. Imagine if those types of funds went to research, or providing healthcare to those who can’t afford it. Healthcare is one of the main areas in which it would be extremely beneficial to streamline costs and spending.
And Americans are much more open to the idea than you would have ever imagined. 64% of Americans would be willing to have a video visit with a doctor, probably because of the convenience and accessibility aspects that make this option so viable.
The truth is that the world is changing all around us, and the medical field is right there along with it. 67% of healthcare professionals (physicians + others) either use some form of telemedicine now, or are planning to in the next few years, so we can all expect to see healthcare rapidly transforming.
The advantages of telemedicine, and the benefits of telehealth truly abound. Don’t be afriad to look into telehealth solutions for your or a loved one. Telemedicine solutions are the future of the health care world, and soon, all types of telemedicine will be on the market.