What are telehealth services?
Telehealth is not a new concept, but an interest in the approach has been driven by an overwhelming need for patient care during COVID-19. In this process, patients can virtually connect with healthcare providers through videoconferencing, remote monitoring, electronic consults and wireless communications.
Telehealth has existed for over 40 years and as healthcare embraces it as a virtual solution to treat highly contagious patients during COVID-19, it’s becoming obvious that the trend is here to stay. According to American Hospital Association, 76 percent of U.S. hospitals are currently connecting with patients and consulting practitioners at a distance through the use of video and other technology. This new method of patient-provider communication makes it possible for patients to abide by stay-at-home orders and still receive quality care during the pandemic. As a result, Forrester now predicts that virtual care visits will soar to more than 1 billion by the end of 2020, including 900 million visits related to COVID-19.
- If you look at what China did, they did a really bad job initially and then it became apparent that they did a lot of things right. One of the things they did right was that they made 50 percent of their healthcare virtual.
John Scott, MD
University of Washington Medicine Association of American Medical Colleges
How does telehealth improve patient care?
Increases Access to Healthcare:
Faster Diagnosis and Treatment:
Offers Independence:
of their own home
Can telehealth prescribe medication?
Why Do We Need Telehealth?
- The number of suspected cases of COVID-19 we are seeing doubles each day and patient wait times have gotten longer, but its technology infrastructure and service delivery has remained stable.
Robin Glass, President & Chief Commercial Officer
Doctor on Demand
STAT