Telemedicine And The Changing Face of Healthcare

Since its inception, telemedicine has made remarkable progress; not just in terms of delivery but also application. When telemedicine was first introduced, there was just a handful of hospitals involved in experimenting the capabilities of this technology, primarily to serve patients in remote locations. However, over the decades, rapid changes in technology have enabled telemedicine to become an integral part of healthcare services across hospitals, private physician offices, homes, and other facilities.

Telemedicine was originally developed by health professionals to connect with remote patients in rural areas and to monitor their health. With time, however, medical professionals discovered that the technology could be just as advantages for the urban population, especially in areas with healthcare shortages. The same could also prove to be exceptionally useful in cases of medical emergencies, where the technology could save time by sharing past medical records and immediate consultation.

The field of telemedicine has evolved at a rapid pace, driven particularly by ubiquitous smartphones and high-speed Internet connections. As a result, an increasing number of healthcare providers are now switching to electronic communications for numerous day-to-day tasks, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.

Most connected patients today want to get immediate care for minor albeit urgent conditions and do not want to waste much time in waiting rooms at the doctor’s clinic. The demand for more convenient care is coupled with widespread affordability as well as accessibility to basic telemedicine solutions.

The advent of mobile health has also had a tremendous impact on the rise of telemedicine today. The rising availability of mobile health apps and consumer-friendly wearable medical devices has allowed patients to put matter into their own hands, literally. Medical devices that can monitor glucose levels, take vitals, measure blood pressure, and diagnose ear infections are widely available, and equipped with all this information required for a doctor’s diagnosis, patients need not leave their home for a check-up!

Technological advancements in communication have allowed patients to get proactive about managing their health. For instance, in the U.S., an increasing number of patients communicate with their physicians not just via live video telemedicine but even apps such as Facetime and Skype.

Telemedicine has allowed access to quality patient care, especially in those regions where even basic healthcare is hard to come by. Apart from this, it has led to lower healthcare expenditure. All in all, telemedicine has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare delivery model across the globe.

Looking to Address High-risk Obstetric Emergencies

Thanks to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the use of telemedicine is gradually expanding to include prenatal care as well as labor and delivery. Haywood Brown, ACOG’s president, states that telemedicine not only improves quality of care but also brings down healthcare costs.

The organization is involved in developing best practices for the use of telemedicine in prenatal care. The goal is to bring together rural hospitals and physicians that perform few deliveries and large medical centers and hospitals with expertise in tackling and treating obstetric complications and emergencies.

Angels is one such initiative. Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System (Angels) is a statewide telemedicine program dedicated to addressing high-risk obstetric emergencies. It is run by the Center for Distance Health, which is part of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Ironically, it has also been found that medication abortions are just as safe when done under remote supervision of a clinician as they are when a doctor is physically present. A new multi-year study published in September 2017 in Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that, in fact, adverse events among telemedicine patients were fewer compared to in-person patients. Telemedicine offers women a convenient and accessible alternative in situations when the nearest clinic may be several hundred miles away.

Medical Practice or Quackery?

The American Telemedicine Association sheds light on exactly how fast this technology has been expanding, particularly in the U.S. In 2015, over 15 million Americans received some form of medical care remotely and those numbers reportedly rose by 30% the year after.

However, despite its rapid growth, one cannot say that telemedicine has made its way into every corner of medicine. HealthMine, a health intelligence service, surveyed 500 tech-savvy consumers in 2016. Results showed that 39% of those consumers had never heard of telemedicine, and among those who had never used the service, a whopping 42% expressed their preference for in-person doctor visits. A survey of 1,500 family physicians revealed that a measly 15% had used telemedicine in their practices.

Critics of telemedicine have often questioned the quality of care it offers, especially in the midst of rapid growth; they are concerned that healthcare providers might sacrifice quality for convenience. Moreover, consulting a random physician without ever meeting him is a concern several patients have voiced. In addition to this, issues such as upper respiratory infections cannot be adequately assessed by a doctor who cannot feel your swollen glands, listen to your heartbeat or pulse, or culture your throat. These are shortcomings that, critics believe, outweigh some of the benefits of telemedicine.

Another question that critics put forth is what exactly constitutes the practice of medicine. With exploding volumes of information freely available on the Internet today, anyone can dole out medical advice. This blurs the line between actual medical practice and quackery. There are several web-based businesses that allow patients to consult "doctors" overseas, many of whom do not even have a license to practice medicine in the U.S. They do, however, post fine-print disclaimers that state what they provide is mere information and not medical advice.

Considering the exact definition of "practicing medicine" varies from country to country, it is nearly impossible to hold such businesses accountable. Moreover, in the U.S., unless a patient files a formal complaint, state medical boards do not generally investigate such matters.

Conclusion

While telemedicine is, for most part, a boon to patients around the world, it isn’t without its downsides. The good news is, however, that growing acceptance and popularity is likely to result in the drawbacks of telemedicine resolving themselves. Add to this continuous technological advancement and changing economic and healthcare policies to support telemedicine. The industry is continuously finding ways to improve the technology and make it a viable, affordable, and advantageous form of healthcare delivery for everyone.

Nishita Pereira is a content writer and editor, with experience working as a news correspondent for an English daily. She has also freelanced for various guest blogging websites, particularly those in the healthcare sector.