The world wasn't prepared for COVID-19. In the days before the deadly pandemic began, the average person can easily drop by their trusted doctor for a consultation. However, when the pandemic started to spread, healthcare professionals had to care for many patients promptly, especially COVID-19 patients since they need immediate attention due to the infectious nature of the disease.
By the end of 2020's first quarter, clinics and hospitals were almost full capacity due to the sheer number of COVID-19 patients. If you or a family member aren’t feeling well due to concerns other than a coronavirus infection, you'll likely feel hesitant to visit a hospital. This hesitation poses risks to individuals infected with COVID-19 but are asymptomatic.
Fortunately, there are methods that medical practitioners can use to care for patients that may or may not have COVID-19 without the need to visit a healthcare facility–telemedicine.
What Is Telemedicine? How Does It Work?
Telemedicine is fast becoming a popular development in medical practice due to its increased accuracy, availability, reduced costs, and ability to monitor the health of patients across the country from remote locations.
Telemedicine is an emerging service that’s being used more frequently in the United States. Telemedicine applications are becoming increasingly common in outpatient clinics, senior centers, in-home care agencies, hospice, PPO communities, and hospitals. This is why many insurance companies are now including telemedicine benefits into their healthcare coverage plans.
Through the use of a specialized telecommunication network, your doctor and other medical specialists can provide you or your loved ones immediate attention if you need urgent care for flu, for instance, regardless of your location. Since the symptoms of a coronavirus infection are similar to the regular flu infection, it's best to seek a physician's services through a virtual consultation.
Caring For Those With COVID-19 Through Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare information and medical services via electronic data and telecommunication technology. Telemedicine enables health professionals to provide quality healthcare to COVID-19 patients from a distance. It also enables the public to access medical help without putting doctors and other medical professionals at risk of infection of the coronavirus.
Here are several ways telemedicine is used to care for people with or without COVID-19:
- Virtual Consultation
Visiting a physical healthcare facility can be scary for some individuals who suspect that they're experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Telemedicine allows you to schedule a consultation session at the comforts of your home.
Virtual check-ups also help prevent the spread of coronavirus and other infectious diseases. It's also important to keep children and senior family members at home because of their fragile immune systems.
- Assessment And Diagnosis
Remote and virtual medical consultations aren’t new healthcare practices. However, telehealth gained popularity after the coronavirus health crisis started this year. With the public encouraged to stay home to avoid infection, telemedicine is one way to consult a doctor, which can be done by communicating over audio, video, or chat. The proliferation of messaging and communication platforms makes it easier for anyone to reach out to a physician for any health concern.
There are several telemedicine services provided by healthcare providers. Telemedicine solutions also allow healthcare facilities to collect, analyze, and share real-time patient information. The data is essential for assessing and diagnosing patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
- Schedule Medical Tests
Telemedicine service enables patients to consult a doctor immediately without worrying about driving to a clinic, waiting in line, and dealing with other patients. A patient can get a diagnosis from their primary care physician or any other participating physician through communication apps.
In case there are required medical examinations or laboratory tests to confirm a COVID-19 infection, the patient may be given a choice to visit a nearby laboratory by appointment. Fortunately, laboratory services can also be booked and brought straight to your home with the help of telemedicine.
- Monitoring And Support
Once a patient has been confirmed positive with COVID-19, medical practitioners can prescribe medication, monitor the patient's condition virtually, and even perform remote medical admission.
Also, telemedicine patients may be able to view and print medical records, access health information, and track and trace any medical history information, among other things. It also reduces stress for healthcare providers, which translates to happier patients resulting from effective and timely healthcare service.
Takeaway
Long-distance patient care is possible with telemedicine. Many health care providers now turn to telemedicine to provide emergency care to patients. Some health insurance companies may cover some of the telemedicine costs, but you should verify with your provider to be sure.
If you're worried about the symptoms you're experiencing, reach out to a telemedicine company or doctor that provides virtual consultations. It's a better option than finding yourself stranded in a hospital waiting room with little or no help.
