With the rise of technology, the healthcare industry has undergone a significant transformation. Telemedicine, in particular, has emerged as a game-changer in the industry, providing patients with access to remote medical care and reducing healthcare costs. In this blog https://www.voypost.com/blog/how-to-start-a-telehealth-business, we will explore seven ways how telemedicine can reduce the costs of healthcare and help entrepreneurs looking to build healthcare applications understand the potential benefits of this technology.
Reduces the Number of A&E Visits
Virtual consultation through phone or video is beneficial for patient, doctors, and the healthcare system in general. The ability of doctors to access patients’ medical records online and provide patients with online medical advice decreases the chances of non-urgent admissions to A&E departments (accident and emergency). This is freeing up emergency resources for patients who really need them.
Reduces the Need for Commuting
Perhaps the most obvious way how telemedicine allows arbitrating the cost of healthcare is by reducing travel expenses to reach GP surgeries and clinics. Teleconsultations provide people’s access to medical care without having to leave the front door. Travel to appointments and parking can be challenging and expensive, especially for patients with limited mobility, those requiring more frequent medical assistance and/or living in remote areas.
Preventive Care and Early Intervention
Telemedicine empowers healthcare providers to offer proactive care and early intervention through remote monitoring and virtual check-ups. By regularly monitoring patients’ health conditions, healthcare professionals can identify potential issues at an early stage. Besides, some medical apps are aimed at helping patients in detecting serious conditions on their own. For example, the MoleMapper app helps people map, measure, and monitor the moles on their skin for early diagnosis of melanoma. Timely interventions prevent the progression of illnesses, reducing the need for expensive advanced treatments and hospitalizations.
Reduces the Cost of Specialists Care
For smaller hospitals, engaging a specialist on a full-time basis can be costly, especially when the demand for their services doesn’t meet the full-time working hours. With the help of telemedicine, patient recordings can be securely transferred to a specialist allowing them to operate without binding to locations. This is how small hospitals receive a professional they need, saving money on a full-time salary. Doctors, in their turn, get the employment they need from a number of different hospitals.
Reduces the Need for Hospital Readmissions
Patients with certain conditions may frequently find themselves readmitted to hospital multiple times within a short period of time. This puts an additional burden on patients and the healthcare system as well. With the advancement of healthcare, this should not be the case. Patients can be discharged from the hospital provided with the equipment to track vital health indicators like blood pressure, heart rates, and oxygen levels. With the help of automated reminders, patients can upload the results onto the system allowing doctors to monitor their conditions and get in touch with patients in case they notice that raises concerns.
Increases Productivity
One of the most definitive features of telehealth is automating routine tasks of medical personnel. This is not aimed at replacing human resources, but to help them save time on patient consulting activities. Numbers show that due to automation, healthcare industry managed to save $122 billion and could save additional $16 billion by fully automating some common tasks. These are patient billing and scheduling, patient communication, adoption of electronic health records, and many more.
Promoting Population Health Management
Telemedicine supports population health management initiatives through remote monitoring, health education, and preventive care services. By promoting overall wellness and disease prevention, telemedicine helps reduce the burden of chronic diseases and associated healthcare costs. Proactive population health management strategies can lead to significant long-term cost savings
Final Thoughts on How Telemedicine Reduces the Cost of Healthcare
Telemedicine has emerged as a transformative force in reducing healthcare costs. Telemedicine is revolutionizing the healthcare landscape by minimizing unnecessary hospital visits, eliminating travel expenses, promoting preventive care, facilitating specialist consultations, reducing readmissions, increasing productivity, and supporting population health management. As technology advances, telemedicine will undoubtedly play a vital role in improving access to affordable healthcare to patients in every corner of the world.
