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Tag Archives: telehealth

13
May
Date May 13, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

How To Use Telehealth For Allergies

It’s now convenient more than ever to receive medical attention with recent technological advancements. In the comfort of your home, you can use telehealth to access a healthcare provider. It is a more convenient way to access medicare without traveling or risk your health getting worse. Telehealth also provides the safest way to get treatment while protecting yourself from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Can You Use Telehealth?

The service is dedicated to increasing convenience in healthcare delivery. Therefore, if you have questions about your medication, feel free to use the service. The service also comes in handy when you notice new side effects or new symptoms crop up. You can also use telehealth for regular follow-ups and refills on your medicine. So you don’t have to come down to the hospital. Save yourself the hassle.

However, you have to see medical personnel if you experience life-threatening symptoms physically. You will also need to do the same if your medical personnel needs to run other tests on you. Physical evaluation requires the assessment of vital signs and physical contact, which is not possible via telehealth.

Preparing for a Telehealth Visit for Allergies

First, get in touch with an allergy provider offering telehealth. Once you have selected your allergy provider, you will need to set up an appointment. At this point, your provider will instruct you on the necessary gadgets and software for telehealth visits. Once you have set up a good internet connection, you are ready for your first visit.

To make sure your telehealth visits go smoothly, you may set up your communication before the set time. Prepare the questions you have for your doctor beforehand. Other things you might do before the telehealth visit is to quiet down your surrounding for better communication and dress according to allow easy assessment. For example, you may wear clothes that allow you to show your skin rash to your immunologist.

Author securemedical
06
May
Date May 6, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

Understanding Telehealth for Asthma

Telehealth uses digital information and communication technologies to access health care services and manage your health care remotely. This is through computers and smartphones to access technological platforms like video conferencing. The platforms enable the doctor to schedule meetings and consultations with the patient.

Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes inflammation in your airwaves and narrows them, causing mucus production. This causes breathing difficulties which may lead to frequent asthma attacks.

Managing this condition requires constant health care, consultations with the doctors, and routine checkups. The use of telehealth in asthma treatment is convenient and saves time. The recent Covid-19 outbreak also strengthened the use of telehealth as a mitigation measure to reduce physical contact. This resulted in embracing the use of technology in communication.

In this case, there are two types of telehealth; telemonitoring and Telemanagement. The two have been most beneficial in asthma treatment. Telemonitoring involves transmitting data such as vital signs and treatment documentation that bears information tracking current symptoms and adherence to treatment. Telemanagement involves a virtual consultation with your doctor; in this process, they assess how the medication is fairing and identify possible gaps that need to be corrected.

Health professionals use various platforms to facilitate telehealth. These platforms may include applications, software, or video conferencing facilities like google meet or zoom.

Advantages of Using Telehealth for Asthma

  • Health professionals are more accessible. It is convenient for routine follow-up appointments, refill of prescriptions, questions about inhalers or medication, and increased asthma symptoms.
  • It lowers the cost of services offered.
  • It reduces time travel.
  • Has reduced Covid-19 infections in people with asthma, considering the virus affects people with underlying conditions.

The provision of telehealth has come in to help and advance how people access healthcare. Telehealth has shown effectiveness in asthma treatment. This is achieved with the cooperation of the patient and the health professionals. The process has also demonstrated the ability to have access to medical care easily.

Author securemedical
29
Apr
Date April 29, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

About Telemedicine for Migraine and It’s Benefits 

Telemedicine offers patients the opportunity to virtually meet with migraine health specialists who live far away or outside their region. Medical research on migraine and telemedicine has discovered that this process of administering medicine or consultation is effective.

The Benefits of Telemedicine for Migraine Patients

· Reduce Financial Costs

Telemedicine, also known as virtual healthcare, is more affordable for migraine patients. It is a digital knockoff compared to in-person migraine medical care. When appropriately used, it reduces cost and increases patients’ health. It also offers easy migraine care accessibility and is more equitable to 78% of adults globally and 89% of American adults that uses smartphones, even adults in low medically served areas and communities.

· Offers Migraine Patients Quick Access to the Best Medical Specialist

Patients with complex and obscure migraine problems frequently find themselves living in nightmares. There are always fears and pains that they may be having a rare disease and more frustrating about finding the right medical specialist. This frustration may lead a patient from a local physician to the next, wasting time sitting through an unproductive medical appointment. Telehealth provides a better solution. It connects the migraine patients with the best, most knowledgeable, and most experienced care specialists regardless of where they practice.

When to use Telehealth for Migraine?

The most important part of migraine diagnosis involves symptoms and careful medical history evaluation. This process can be covered effectively during the telehealth consultation session. Patients can use telehealth for migraine if they have issues or concerns after managing the condition or starting treatment.

How Does a Patient Prepare for A Telehealth Visit for Migraine?

Just as you would prepare for an in-person appointment, it’s equally essential to adequately prepare for a virtual health visit. Here are a few tips to help you prepare:

· Get acquainted with the technology you’ll be using during the consultation. Get help if you need assistance in using the technology.

· Be sure you have privacy while getting ready for your appointments to avoid interruptions from people around.

· Make such you have good internet access to prevent connection problems during the consultation.

· Prepare your question by writing them down before your medical appointment starts.

Author securemedical
25
Apr
Date April 25, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

About Spine Patient’s Telemedicine Care Access

The purpose of the research was to understand, evaluate and analyze the modalities used for spine care patients. Telehealth was a primary element of spine care access. It has a successful history of improving patients’ safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency. Researchers carried out studies and surveys with patients who got their spine care via telehealth.

Between February and September 2020, researchers used the clinical registry procedure to identify spine patients found remotely at the academic medical tertiary center. This discovery was then published on an online spine care survey where patients were asked about their telemedicine experiences. The doctor that made this discovery ran a statistical analysis and thematic analysis on the Likert scale on a free-form response.

After which, the sociodemographic data was later abstracted and evaluated. The researcher reviewed the questionnaire of about 140 patients who had physical spine care appointments and telemedicine. Patients with medium and low area deprivation missed the physical spine care appointments. This shows that spine care patients rated their telemedicine experience highly.

What is Area Deprivation Index (ADI)?

An area deprivation index (ADI) is a unit used to measure the multi-dimensional status of the socio-economic region, which is linked to a health outcome. In this case, researchers use a patent’s ADI address to determine the area in which they reside.

Researchers found out that 42 percent of spine patients with low or medium socioeconomic status are also likely to miss a physical appointment compared to patients with high socioeconomic status. The total ratio of missed telehealth scheduled appointments is identical across all socioeconomic statuses.

However, telemedicine continues to be a popular method for care access delivery across America. In regions with mental health-related issues, hypertension, acute respiratory diseases, and joint and soft tissue diseases were all virtually treated, increasing telehealth visits.

Patients now understand the medical and health advantages while reflecting on how effective it is compared to a physical doctor’s appointment. This research analysis would help influence future practices and improve easy access to doctors’ and patients’ satisfaction.

Author securemedical
15
Apr
Date April 15, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

How Telemedicine Has Revolutionized Mental Health

Mental health has been touchy, especially in the past when admitting openly to seeing a psychiatrist was a sign of something wrong. However, just when mental health practices were welcomed, Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. The world went into lockdown, and public spaces closed down, including psychotherapy and psychiatric offices. With the levels of stress and anxiety recording a new high, something had to be done and fast to deal with the current situation of things.

Therefore, although previously considered and declared unfit for medical practices, Telemedicine got the chance to prove its worth to facilitate mental health. Some of the impacts it has had since then include:

  • Reduced the No-show Rate

Telemedicine for mental health has resolved one of the significant long-standing problems in psychiatry, that of patients not showing up for their appointments. Before the lockdown, most patients would make appointments but not show up. Although sometimes it was due to sheer forgetfulness, other times it was pure absconding of the meeting. However, as Telemedicine got introduced as an option, the no-show rate has considerably lowered. This can is due to the main advantage of Telemedicine which is convenience. Patients do not have to fight traffic or inconvenience their busy schedules to see their therapists. With access to an innovative device/internet, they can make their appointments with little struggle.

  • It Gives a View of the Patient’s Home Environment

With most people being home due to the lockdown, Telemedicine allowed therapists to see their patients’ day-to-day lives at home and, most importantly, in their daily environments. In the standard setting, the patient having to go to the office took away the chance to experience it firsthand. However, by using Telemedicine, the psychiatrists and therapists get an essential insight into the patient’s life, which helps with their treatment.

Final Word

With the world opening and the restrictions on personal meetings easing up, it will be easier for people to choose what works for them best, having tried both options. The advantage is that they get the help they need in the long run, no matter which option they choose.

Author securemedical
08
Apr
Date April 8, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

Orthopedic Telemedicine: How Orthopedic Virtual Care From Home Works

The COVID-19 pandemic forcing many medical areas to go virtual, including orthopedics, explains why necessity is the mother of innovation. Orthopedic surgeons are now weighing in on several things, having witnessed orthopedic practices adapt to telemedicine technology. Some consider their practices sticking with telemedicine once the COVID-19 crisis period stops.

You may wonder how an orthopedic practice like lower back pain, injured knee, or rotator cuff tear works remotely. Yes. It is possible. But doesn’t delivering orthopedics via telehealth sound counterintuitive?

Historically, during orthopedic sessions, health practitioners use palpations, a technique of feeling using fingers during a physical examination. Typically, an orthopedic in-person appointment features front-end paperwork, MRIs or X-rays, and a physical palpation examination. So, what does it mean to incorporate and address these steps in a virtual telehealth session?

What are the Protocols?

Several protocols can help virtual orthopedic visits run smoothly. Patients have to receive directions on preparing for the virtual appointment in advance. This includes ensuring they have access to a sufficient high-speed internet connection to support an uninterrupted video call and preparing for the physical space so that the doctor can easily monitor and access their movements. For instance, the patient needs to be around 6 feet from the camera for a knee injury case, which should be 2 feet off the ground level.

That’s not all. Shorts are also necessary for patients with knee injuries. They have a simple household item to use as a weight (like a stapler or a water bottle). The orthopedist will effectively evaluate the patient with this kind of prep work.

Palpating the area in a virtual session involves resistance work or self-palpations. The orthopedist coaches the patient through specific movements and accesses their mobility or lack of it while comparing one side to the other. Based on their observation, the orthopedist can share the screen and revise the patient’s already done MRIs or X-rays and have a discussion.

Final Word

Despite the power of telemedicine technology and its above-described protocol, it makes sense to make the first orthopedic session in-person and the subsequent visits virtual if the patient is okay with a physical visit.

Author securemedical
01
Apr
Date April 1, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

Why Audio-only Telehealth Needs to Stay For Good

What Is Telehealth?

Telehealth is not a new phenomenon but became a critical facility during the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency. Telehealth is telecommunication to provide medical assistance and health education across distances. It meant that if someone could not attend a medical center in person, then it would be possible to have a consultation with a medical practitioner over the phone or video call.

Who Benefits From Audio-only Telehealth?

The use of video telehealth favors demographics with access to broadband and the use of technologies needed for video access. Research finds that people on lower incomes are more likely to use these services. In comparison, audio-only telehealth has a higher uptake as it is more accessible for most people with only a telephone required.

Common barriers that can prevent access to in-person consultations include:

  • No access to childcare
  • Lack of transportation
  • Medical provider shortages
  • Excessive wait times
  • Work commitments
  • Mobility impairment
Benefits That Reach Further Than Patient Care

You may think that telehealth is only a plus for patients. However, medical providers can save time and money using these services instead of in-patient clinics.

There is the issue of waiting rooms being a breeding ground for already ill people. Healthcare providers slash their risk of contracting illness by not being in physical contact with sick people. This means fewer doctors on ill leave annually.

Fewer personnel need to be on-site if no in-patients are present and lower overheads and supplies like sanitizers and PPE usage.

More uptake of services like these also means healthier populations and, as a result, a healthier workforce and economy.

Author securemedical
25
Mar
Date March 25, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

The Pandemic Has Underscored the Need for Telehealth Services 

Telehealth services utilization has become more prevalent in the United States of America following the surge of COVID-19 cases. This shift in sentiment was borne out of the necessity to bridge the care gap that stringent stay-at-home measures had created in the healthcare sector. Additionally, a more favorable view of telehealth services, increased supply from providers, and regulatory changes spurred the emergence of the virtual healthcare model.


Virtual care brings about increased levels of convenience and improves access to varied types of health offerings. This includes access to several states that had been previously left out of the loop. Furthermore, incorporating remote monitoring into care models has boosted health outcomes. That being said, innovations such as enhanced data flow between the major players in the space (consumers, investors, and providers) play a significant role in unlocking the full potential of telehealth services. Such innovations call for a substantial amount of investment capital into the space.


Policymakers also question the ability of the system to cut costs significantly while maintaining the quality of care that traditional hospitals provide. Despite virtual care being a relatively new concept, consumers have shown a lot of faith in its quality. Providers have also been receptive to adjusting their traditional model to incorporate the technology.


In conclusion, Telehealth has pulled its weight in stabilizing the health industry during these unprecedented times. More robust policies should be put in place to advocate for better virtual care services. This is especially important with the emergence of variant strains of the disease. Additionally, telehealth services need to be tailored to meet various patient and health provider needs. Telemedicine companies such as Ourdoctor gives patients access to 24/7 care on multiple conditions that are non-life-threatening. If you’d like to learn more, visit Ourdoctor.com.

Author securemedical
18
Mar
Date March 18, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

Telehealth and Gender: Young Females Making the Majority of Telehealth Users Globally

Telemedicine usage rose by 1.015% during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a Trilliant Health report, 25.6% of the American population adopted the trend. Women, especially young females from 25 to 40 years, made up to 60% of the Telehealth users during the pandemic.

Men and older women also used telehealth services. However, this group preferred in-person visits, and their number has grown thin following the loosening restriction rules and ability to access physical doctor visits.

The case is different for young females (and has always been). A report posted on the JAMA Network Open, for instance, indicates that women within the ages of 18 to 44 preferred telehealth compared to males and patients within other age groups.

How Patients Used Telehealth Services during the Pandemic

According to the Trilliant Health report, in-person doctor visits subsided from 98.4% pre-pandemic to 70.9% during the COVID-19 peak. Of all the 25.6% percent of Americans who used telemedicine over this period, 46% used telehealth once, 14% attended seven or more virtual appointments, and 80% didn’t go beyond four visits.

Women were the biggest group in every category (single, low, average, high, and super telehealth users). Every patient had a reason for their virtual consultations, but most women sought help with stress and anxiety-related conditions.

Telehealth Beyond the Pandemic

Regulators are debating whether telemedicine should continue post-COVID-19 and at what rate. But, women have tasted and are now reluctant to let go of the convenience that comes with telemedicine.

For instance, women typically have many responsibilities, making it hard to concentrate on their mental health.

Similarly, reports indicate a higher risk of poor health, chronic illnesses, anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders in female caregivers than in other groups. One of the reasons resulting from this, according to most caregivers, is the unavailability of time to dedicate to self-care. With telemedicine it gives more time to focus on ones self. To learn more and how you can get signed up for your first telehealth visit, go to Ourdoctor.com

Author securemedical
11
Mar
Date March 11, 2022
Categories Telemedicine

Impacts of Telemedicine in Nursing Homes

The health care industry has been one of the most affected industries by the emergence of COVID-19. With the dangers of spreading the pandemic and the increased numbers swarming the hospitals, specific systems had to be put in place to reduce the number of people from nursing rushed to the hospital and keeping the masses protected. As a result, Telemedicine became the method of choice to ensure that these patients in nursing homes are sufficiently cared for while offering them the necessary protection.

Exploring what Telemedicine has to offer

The adoption of Telemedicine for nursing homes has both advantages and disadvantages, as witnessed throughout its use. Although some of these disadvantages might not seem as impactful, it is essential to consider them. However, on the other hand, the advantages associated with the adoption of Telemedicine in nursing homes are impactful. They have helped revolutionize healthcare in nursing homes and the health care system.

Telemedicine reduces physical movements.

The first most notable advantage of Telemedicine in a nursing home is the reduction of patients getting transported to the hospitals, which saves time and money. Transporting a resident to the hospital is traumatic and stressful to the patient. In some instances, the need for a nurse is either due to falling or a change in vital signs. Such aspects do not necessarily need a present nurse.

Helping overwhelmed hospitals

Secondly, Telemedicine helps the already overwhelmed hospitals to reduce the influx of patients in the emergency rooms. Since the emergency cases are manageable through a telemedicine call, the need to be in the emergency room reduces. Therefore, the issues that get to the emergency room will get optimum attention, and the facility will be in a better position to handle these cases.

Final Word

Telemedicine application to improve health care delivery is advisable and carries many advantages to both the institutions and the people. To learn more visit Ourdoctor.com

Author securemedical
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