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Author Archives: securemedical

19
Nov
Date November 19, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Access to Telehealth Visits Are Essential for Safety Net Populations

During the pandemic, telephone and video medical visits became the norm for many providers. A recent study in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that New York State safety net providers had positive experiences using telehealth with their patients during the past year. However, the researchers noted that although remote visits made it easier for patients to complete appointments, it also exposed the lack of access at-need populations they serve have to the technology necessary for telemedicine visits.

Why it’s important

The providers surveyed in the study found the telemedicine visits to be as effective as in-person visits and had the added benefit of reducing no-shows. It also made attending appointments for vulnerable populations and those with busy schedules easier and more accessible.

Of course, not all appointments could be conducted virtually. Patients requiring vaccinations needed in-person care, and certain types of appointments, such as well-child visits, were less effective when provided remotely. It was also difficult for some patients to use the technical tools necessary to attend telemedicine visits.

The providers surveyed did have suggestions for improving telehealth visits that could help to alleviate some of these pain points. They suggested developing more user-friendly platforms, providing funding for organizations to make the adjustments needed for telemedicine, and working towards universal broadband and enhanced Wifi capabilities.

Other current studies

The rise of telehealth during the pandemic has provided researchers with a plethora of information about telemedicine’s benefits and drawbacks. A study from the University of Missouri looked at how the rapid increase in telemedicine affected nursing home residents. They found that while it increased access to services, it led to increased social isolation.

Future Studies

The researchers suggest that future research should focus on supporting communication between providers and patients. They also propose assessing the type of care preferred by both providers and patients to determine the best method of care to provide.

Author securemedical
12
Nov
Date November 12, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

The Rise of Telecardiology in the Wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The modern world has had a shift in how people access medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s because interpersonal consultations and doctor visits came to a complete halt. Telehealth has become a popular means through which people can access healthcare remotely. One such medical practice area is telecardiology that treats heat-related illnesses.

Telecardiology Defined

Telecardiology isn’t a new concept. Cardiologists have long utilized different forms of technology to treat patients with heart-related issues. Telecardiology refers to remotely interpreting electrocardiographic recordings via technology such as video conferencing. For instance, technology helps doctors to check pacemakers or transmit patient data remotely. That helps manage a patient’s heart condition effectively.

Advanced medical technology has contributed to the growth of telecardiology. Medical technology includes keeping records of cardiac images in digital formats. These formats allow hospital staff to send data to centralized sites where cardiovascular specialists interpret the information using artificial intelligence.

Rather than eliminate the need for in-person treatment, telecardiology is a welcome supplementary treatment for primary care. Moreover, it helps cut hospital visits and in-patient care. Besides, you have the freedom to seek treatment from the comfort of your home or office.

Are There Any Concerns?

As much as telehealth is successful, it doesn’t offer a perfect treatment scenario. Doctors are still trying to figure these things out:

  • The appropriate timeline to see a patient by teleconference rather than in-person
  • How to blend telecardiology with in-person visits or in-patient care
  • How to handle teleconference visits for new patients when there’s no previous relationship
  • The implications of patients communicating with other cardiovascular disease healthcare providers
  • Insurance reimbursements for telecardiology visit fees

Telecardiology is a step in the right direction in the cardiology world, but there’s still a long way to go. Luckily, there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel. It all starts with developing a solid plan for the best patient care. The future of telemedicine looks better with each passing day and advancements in technology.

Author securemedical
05
Nov
Date November 5, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Prenatal and Newborn Health Care, Virtually

Successful pregnancy needs like 10-15 doctors’ visitors, but this number is reduced by a half by using the virtual care for expectant parents.


Telehealth incorporates of a wide range of services such as


• virtual visits


• remote patient monitoring


These services capture data recorded on mobile devices

Putting Families First With Virtual Care


The joy and wish of any mother is to bring a full term baby into the world, but in cases of premature births, a baby may experience feeding difficulties. Since the body needs nutrients to grow, they are fitted with a nasogastric (NG) tube that helps them take in nutrients as they are bottle-fed around-the-clock to ultimately move them off the tube. However, there are suggestions by researchers that a baby recovers better and quicker while with the parents.

Prenatal Care Goes Virtual With Telehealth


Prenatal telehealth programs have similar structures that involve take home equipment such as blood pressure cuffs and the fetal heart heart rate monitors together with a secure portal.
During virtual visits, patients send heart rate, fetal heart rate, blood pressure and weight, which nurses record and send informative through the portals.


Moreover, pregnant patients had increased due to the pandemic hence the use of remote monitoring. Most pregnant patients used the Mayo Clinic’s patient portal for visits, which was later followed by secure clinical virtual visits over zoom. The program increased over 10x during the pandemic but since the easing of Covid-19 rules, patients now find it easier to visit a clinician. To learn more about telehealth services visit Ourdoctor.com

Author securemedical
29
Oct
Date October 29, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Mail Order Pharmacy Market Expected to Reach $166 Billion+ By 2027

The Mail Order Pharmacy Market Is Expected to See Enormous Growth

Mail-order pharmacies operate over the Internet. They can provide their customers with a great deal of convenience by delivering their products to the latter’s doorsteps, so it should come as no surprise to learn that they are expected to continue seeing good growth for the near future. Still, the extent of that growth can be shocking. One estimate is that eDrugstore.com and other notable players will bring the mail order pharmacy market to $166,384,850,000 in 2027 through a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent from 2020 to 2027. Something that stakeholders should pay attention to.

Why Is the Mail Order Pharmacy Market Doing So Well?

The mail-order pharmacy market has recently received a massive boost because of the COVID-19 crisis. After all, concern over the pandemic meant that people bought many healthcare products, which benefited a lot of pharmacies. However, people’s desire to minimize their chances of getting COVID-19 also told them that they chose to shop from home rather than in person, meaning that eDrugstore.com and mail-order pharmacies benefited more than most.

It is important to note that there are also long-term trends driving their growth. For example, an aging population means increased numbers of chronic diseases, resulting in more and more demand for healthcare companies of various sorts. Similarly, there is an increasing acceptance of buying healthcare products and services online rather than offline, meaning that more and more people are opting for the former. Moreover, people have noticed these trends, which is why investments have been pouring into mail-order pharmacies. This is expected to speed up the growth rate because of the increased availability of resources with which to do so.

Further Considerations

There are still issues holding back eDrugstore.com and other mail-order pharmacies. To name an example, e-commerce is still most prevalent in high-income economies. Due to that, these businesses have a more challenging time penetrating low to middle-income economies, which they can’t do anything about. Still, the estimate for the market’s overall growth suggests that eDrugstore.com has a bright future ahead of it.

Author securemedical
22
Oct
Date October 22, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Telehealth Comes With Many Benefits, But at What Cost?

During the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic, most world economies shut down. With total lockdowns in place and people staying under quarantine in homes, telehealth gained immense popularity as a means of accessing medical care. It allowed people to see a doctor without having to leave home. Telehealth also brought convenience, allowing people to access healthcare remotely without incurring costly transportation costs to the hospitals.

As much as telehealth is convenient, fast, and a readily available means of securing health care services, the amount of money that medical centers charge has raised eyebrows and many questions among patients. Concerns about the unexpected bills to cover appointments and follow-ups out-of-pocket (even if you have insurance) have been on the rise. The big question is, why is telehealth becoming expensive by the day?

The Happenings

Most insurance companies are rolling back on the covers they provided patients when the pandemic was at its peak. With current uncertainties, insurance providers keep on changing policies, even doing away with some coverage altogether. As a move to cover their interests, medical care providers have to charge extra (regardless of insurance status) as they aren’t sure of reimbursements from insurance carriers.

Most hospitals are also billing the cost of the virtual appointment and teleconferencing, which is typically not part of the insurance coverage. Generally, the high price of telehealth appointments may result from:

  • The time the doctor takes to complete an assignment, with longer works attracting a higher charge
  • The complexity of the case, where complex issues may need extra attention and consequently, more charges
  • The amount of data the doctor reviews, in which a high workload could mean more time explaining the results and more money to pay

Mitigating the High Telehealth Costs

While the high bills may be unavoidable, you can quickly get ahead of the problem by figuring out what services your insurance provider is willing to cover and whether your preferred medical provider accepts insurance coverage for the same services. Check whether your insurance carrier is willing to pay for your virtual visits and all the resulting costs. With this information, you can easily align your visit with a medical center that fully accepts your insurance coverage, and you’ll avoid the extra bills.

The Solution

If you don’t have insurance, or you do, and the cost of telemedicine is so high, the benefits aren’t worth it. Ourdoctor telehealth is an excellent option for those who don’t or do have insurance. You Can have access to telehealth for an affordable price 24/7. To learn more about Ourdoctor telehealth services, visit Ourdoctor.com

Author securemedical
15
Oct
Date October 15, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

What Does The Next Year Hold In Telehealth ? Much Higher Than Before The Pandemic

What does the next year hold in telehealth? Well, it’s higher than before the pandemic. That’s because the impact of the spread of the pandemic has helped to increase public awareness on how essential it is to arm one’s self with knowledge about vaccines.
Also, it has helped protect you from diseases you can prevent if you take prompt measures. In this guide, we’ll tell you what the next year will look like for telehealth. Let’s jump right in!

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is delivering information, health care, and education from far via telecommunication equipment and electronic gadgets. It encompasses many specialties of health care.
They include medicine, nursing, dentistry, and mental health. Mobile phones, computers, and other electronic devices can deliver telehealth services. Telephone videos and interactive media are also helpful.

How Has Telehealth Helped Combat COVID-19 Pandemic?

Telehealth can provide improved access to healthcare and services. It can improve health outcomes, reduce wait times, and minimize the cost of health care. Also, it can help address health disparities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought telehealth to the forefront of the health care system. It has exposed weaknesses in our health care system, including a shortage of beds and health care providers and a lack of access to health care.

Telehealth can help address some of these issues. But, it must be done correctly and subject to the same scrutiny as in-person care. Here are some ways telehealth helps address the COVID-19 pandemic crisis:

Video visits

Telehealth providers can use video visits to help patients who cannot leave their homes. It can also help patients who need care but are unable to get to a clinic.

 Remote patient monitoring

Pharmacists and health practitioners can use telehealth to collect health data from patients’ homes. The data can help clinicians monitor chronic conditions, detect health issues earlier, and provide treatment remotely.

 Telehealth pharmacy

Pharmacists can use telehealth to distribute medications to their patients remotely. It can help address the shortage of medicines, especially in remote areas.
Author securemedical
08
Oct
Date October 8, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

No More Waiting Room: Telemedicine Amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically accelerated the growth of telehealth and prescheduling technologies. Patients no longer have to wait for hours in hospital waiting rooms to see a doctor. And how is this going to impact patients and providers?

According to Dr. David Berg, a co-founder, and chairman of the board of Redirect Health, healthcare facilities should minimize unnecessary inconveniences like wait time for a better healthcare experience. Here is Dr. Berg explanation in an in-depth interview with Healthcare IT News:

How can physicians reduce long patient wait times using prescheduling tools?

The essence of prescheduling is to save time used in filling out forms in the doctor’s office. Using prescheduling tools, doctors can gather patients’ records before they even get in the hospital. According to DR. Berg, when doctors get your medical history information, they are more prepared for treatment when you arrive.

With prescheduling, people can fill out the form at their pace without impacting waiting room time.

Negative impacts of high waiting room times and its effects on patient care

Even when adhering to COVID-19 precautions, people are still afraid of enclosed places that are crowded. As Berg explains, two groups are used to analyze the negative impact of high waiting room times. The first group comprises the younger and healthier people who might not see the doctor because of their busy life. The second group includes people with chronic health issues who don’t want to spend unnecessary time waiting. High waiting room times discourage these groups from seeking care.

Impacts of telehealth on in-person doctor visits and its effects on waiting times

Telehealth reduces waiting times, and patients are put on a schedule that is easier for doctors to manage during virtual appointments. On the other hand, patients will less often take time to have in-person doctor visits. And when they go, they would like to take care of everything, even things that are not yet problems. With telehealth, people can spend lesser time in appointments.

The future of the waiting room

Dr. Berg believes that the waiting rooms will get smaller as the parking lots get busier if people don’t fill out forms at home. As much as the benefits of telehealth are evident, it’s not an easy transition to the highly regulated healthcare industry. Also, physicians are required to hold a license in the state of their operation.

However, telemedicine’s future is bright if a bipartisan federal telehealth law eliminates licensing in individual states.

Author securemedical
01
Oct
Date October 1, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Evolving Trends of Telemedicine Use Among Seniors over the Pandemic

Labeled as the silver lining during the COVID pandemic, telemedicine has grown exponentially over the past year. At first, most people were terrified to visit their doctor’s offices, which quickly turned telemedicine from a fringe service to a significant mode of care delivery.

For some Medicare beneficiaries and older adults, telemedicine has been a lifeline during the pandemic. With the announcement on March 17, 2020, that Medicare and Medicaid centers would be refunded for any telemedicine services to any patient, the beneficiaries of this care increased by thousands every week to about 1.7 million by April.

Here are some evolving trends observed among seniors who used telemedicine during the pandemic

  1. A significant decrease in the use of telemedicine after peaking in May 2020

Telemedicine undoubtedly plays a crucial role in health care and is likely to account for a modest share of visits under current medical practices, payment policies, and technologies. As we advance, the future use of telemedicine depends on how much clinicians are refunded for offering this type of care. Most health practitioners are bound to be more hesitant to adopt telemedicine if they aren’t sure how to be reimbursed for providing this kind of care.

2. 1 out of 10 Medicare beneficiaries use telephone calls only to access telemedicine

Reimbursing clinicians for telephone-only calls have continued to raise concerns over the quality of care provided. It is worth noting that if telephone-only calls are eliminated, 1 out of 10 Medicare beneficiaries will no longer benefit from telemedicine. Additionally, in rural areas, the lack of technology and broadband access has significantly affected access to telemedicine. For beneficiaries who don’t have access to video visits, research is still needed to find means to increase their access to telemedicine via video visits.

3. The use of telemedicine doesn’t vary by race and ethnicity

One of the undeniable benefits of telemedicine is its ability to cut across race and ethnicity. Data shows no significant differences in the number of people using telemedicine-based on race and ethnicity.

In conclusion, despite the focus on the rapid growth of telemedicine, its changing patterns of use have been severely overlooked. It is essential to track the evolving use of telemedicine and how Americans can better access this form of health care to ensure health care disparities do not increase.

Author securemedical
27
Sep
Date September 27, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

The use of telemedicine for reproductive health increases as other federal funding lags

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Planning has reduced services by 50%

As the pandemic continues throughout the globe, women must cope with reduced access to reproductive health specialist appointments. Bayer Philippines launched an innovative public service campaign centered on women’s reproductive help to bring information to those who might need it.

The pandemic has led to an increased reliance on telemedicine. One study showed that because of COVID-19, there had been a 6,000% increase in telemedicine. Approximately ten years of telemedicine advances in technology happened in a year. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to show that women could get adequate reproductive healthcare through telemedicine.

One of the more lasting shifts in telemedicine comes from the world of direct-to-consumer (D2C) healthcare delivery. The use of smartphone apps to deliver specific help, such as getting birth control, removes the need for a referral.

One of the needs not yet addressed is about 15% of women who have regular cell phones without smartphone apps. Of course, the D2C market would need to discover a way to reach all women who need reproductive healthcare.

Reproductive health through digital access

The use of telemedicine across the women’s health spectrum increased because of the pandemic. Fortunately, much of the professional world had already refined teleconferencing, which meant medicine could use the same digital means for delivering medical.

The pandemic influenced OBGYN care. In one report, the vast majority of OBGYNs had incorporated telemedicine into their practices. Yet, most saw significant issues when implementing telemedicine care. Around six in ten OBGYNs are at least a little worried their patients won’t receive adequate care for serious procedures.

Like other medical specialties, women’s reproductive health will need to change healthcare delivery methods to meet patient needs. This is a move the CDC recommends.

Author securemedical
17
Sep
Date September 17, 2021
Categories Telemedicine

Providing Mental Health Services Using Telehealth Integration

A telemedicine platform may help make significant progress for millions of patients who require mental health or substance misuse treatment since only approximately 10% of federally certified health facilities have clinical psychologists or psychiatrists on staff.


Recent research that examined some rural FQHCs found that using a tele-mental health platform, which connects the clinics to experts, benefited patients with bipolar illness or post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to a press release issued by the University of Michigan, the study findings indicate that if you provide access to high-quality treatment for disadvantaged patients, they may improve their quality of life.


Researchers from several health systems and the Veterans Affairs conducted five-year research sponsored by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to see if remote treatment had the same value for psychiatric services in 24 rural FQHCs in Washington, Michigan, and Arkansas.


The research published in JAMA Psychiatry assessed two models of care: patients directly have face-to-face encounters with specialists at the state medical school through telemedicine, and the other in which a primary care clinic that works alongside FQHCs incorporates telehealth into its services. This data suggests that a large majority of the 1,004 patients treated discovered that they had far better access to healthcare, better mental health, and better quality of life. Both groups saw the same gains.


Although research shows that telehealth may benefit patients and FQHC patients, it is essential to consider the importance of a remote telehealth platform located inside an FQHC, which mainly serves the underprivileged population.


Medicare and Medicaid data claims about 1,400 FQHCs and comparable health clinics servicing about 25 million people in the US.


FQHCs use telehealth as a means of contact with their patient while also providing virtual access to the necessary services. Telehealth has benefited from federal and state emergency measures designed to increase access, coverage, and lawmakers in both the Senate and the House have shown an interest in further implementing such policies after the crisis.

Author securemedical
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