The Covid-19 outbreak has wholly shut down millions of lives with half of the world under a self-imposed lockdown. Stocks are plummeting. Stores are clearing within seconds. And it feels like travel is grounded like forever. And with a fatality rate approximately 30 times higher than the flu, the shortfall of healthcare services is making the situation even worse.
It’s a scenario that you secretly dread…
In light of the crisis, the government recently lifted its ban over the restrictions on Medicare telehealth coverage and gave passage to an $8 billion emergency response bill. Thanks to such a boost, a growing number of hospitals and healthcare providers are turning to virtual consultations to identify, monitor, and slow down the spread of the virus.
In addition to that, it’s ability to help ease the stress and anxiety of hundreds of patients who are looking for mental health care is equally handling the panic situation all over the country. But, you may probably be wondering why everyone is voicing out their opinion about telemedicine nowadays.
Keep reading, and you will know the importance of telehealth services to mitigate the Covid-19 crisis.
To reduce the risk of spreading or contracting the virus, even CDC is asking patients to call their healthcare providers before any face-to-face medical care. However, the problem is that phone calls are bustling with numbers, and in-person visits are putting the lives of others and much-needed healthcare workers in harm’s way.
So, investing in telehealth can help providers to safely evaluate and identify potentially infected patients through video calls and text-based chats. That way, they can advise them to stay home and can fill their prescriptions by sending it directly to the pharmacy. In short, you are keeping a watchful eye on the patients without even getting in contact with any.
If you think only the population of metro cities will be affected by this viral outbreak, you must be dreaming right now. It is not an urban area issue. Even rural towns can’t shy away from the wrath of this deadly Covid-19 attack. So, rural communities must start implementing telehealth now to stop the spread of Coronavirus transmission. It is also crucial because not every rural community has access to healthcare experts.
However, one must also not forget that a lot of rural areas have limited internet access, so teleconsults or logging into any video conferencing app might be impossible. Thus, patients and providers can connect using text-based telehealth platforms. That’s how they can stay connected to the rest of the country and report issues whenever necessary.
If you think telehealth or digitization of the healthcare system is an invention of today, you will be surprised to know that it was sitting right for more than two decades. However, no one gave it its due credit and kept moving on with in-person consults, telephone calls, or answering machines.
But, the Covid-19 crisis is an eye-opener that one-to-one methods of communication can be inefficient and could pose a threat, delays. Thereby adding more frustration. The phone system will soon see a dead-end adding more confusion and anxiety to patients who can’t handle it. Therefore, virtual consults can help doctors and healthcare providers triage resources, and patients’ concerns quickly without any hassles. Every modality is beneficial. But, texting is turning out to be one of the practical ways to handle thousands of patients in a small time frame.
Amidst the Covid-19 crisis, efficient communications matter a lot. So, using different telehealth platforms can help patients to reach various healthcare providers without increasing panic quotient. It’s like doctors can screen patients quickly and collaborate with other providers to improve the outcomes exponentially. Hence, giving you a chance to decrease the fatality rates by multiple folds.
The world is closing down because of the massive outbreak of the Covid-19. It’s time that we put together our resources to provide help to everyone without any breaks. And that’s how telehealth or telemedicine comes into the picture. It’s like a link that will connect you to healthcare practitioners without putting the risk of exposing yourself to this deadly virus. However, given the situation, the concept is still growing in number.
Therefore, you need to use the best approach that will suit your situation. For example, you can use a video conferencing app or stick to chatbots. Anything out of the ordinary concerning your symptoms, the doctor will notify you and help you find the right medications without a miss.
Notice: Keeping up with the technology, Steady Care Medical is providing telehealth services to its patients. So, whether you want to talk about your fear, consult about your allergies, or want to confirm your symptoms, visit our website and speak to us via chatbots or online consultations. We will be there for you.