Benefits of virtual care for both patients and doctors
August 16, 2022Virtual care is a paradigm in which patients consult doctors and physicians using long-distance communication technology such as videoconferencing, telephone or a mobile app.
Built with advanced tech tools that can record, monitor and analyse patients remotely, Virtual Care offers a great alternative to in-person clinical visits. It was already being used as a promising technology but with the spread of Covid-19, it simply became an inevitability.
Virtual Care is also known as Telehealth or Telemedicine. While it was growing at a steady pace, 33% more patients adopted Telemedicine at the start of 2020.
Just in the first quarter of 2020, the total venture capital received by Telemedicine skyrocketed to $788 million. A leap of more than 200% in comparison to 2019.
The adjacent growth of Telemedicine platform is helping push adoption rates across the world. The best part is that it offers significant benefits to all the key stakeholders – the patients, the clinicians, and healthcare authorities. Let’s find out how.
Virtual Care Benefits to Patients
Treatment from Home
One of the most sought after benefits of Virtual Care is that the patients can consult a doctor without stepping out of their home. Not only is it convenient for the patients, but it also helps them maintain social distancing norms easily.
Bridge the Doctor-to-Patient Gaps
It’s a harsh reality that there are far-flung rural areas with a high doctor-to-patient disparity. According to NRHA, certain areas have less than 40 doctors for 100,000 people. In such areas, where it is difficult to physically reach more patients, Telemedicine can help bridge the gap. Doctors from any part of the world can consult patients in deficit areas without expending travel, labour or health costs.
Access to Expertise and Specialty Physicians
Many a time, the lack of a given speciality or expertise in a medical institution becomes the deterrent to timely treatment, leading to lost lives. Telehealth can provide access to all kinds of medical expertise, enabling patients who need a specific kind of doctor to study right on the spot. This can prove to be life-saving for millions of patients who fall prey to the skill deficit.
Reduced Cost of Healthcare and Treatment
Harvard Health published a blog on how Virtual Care costs half as much as an in-person visit. Virtual care consultation software helps physicians diagnose your symptoms online, wherein there’s no waiting time or travel costs. The reports of your diagnosis including the medicinal prescription can be easily obtained virtually. You can also order medicines online.
Virtual Care Benefits to Physicians and Doctors
Optimize Resource and Time Usage
Physicians and doctors can delegate appointments that are more suited to Virtual Care, to optimize time spent on each patient. Not all patients require a physical visit, which is resource-intensive. This way, the doctor’s capacity to consult a set number of patients in a day increases, while the stress and time investment is reduced.
Better Chronic Disease Management
Virtual Care works wonders for Chronic disease management as doctors as it demands continued care. It’s easier and more efficient for doctors to stay in touch virtually with patients with Chronic illnesses rather than meeting them every week. Modern Telemedicine consultation software provides for mapping patient progress, and studying them deeply, helping doctors fruitfully treat chronic diseases.
Flexibility in Appointments and Scheduling
Doctors can manage their schedules more flexibly rather than having to adhere to a strict schedule at the clinic. A Telemedicine session is very similar to a video call. It’s easier for the patient as well, to be available at a flexible time to consult the doctor. It helps the doctors to manage their calendars with lesser burnout.
Recommended Read: 10 Types of Healthcare Software that a Hospital or Clinic needs in the Pandemic
Better Decision Making for the Doctors
With a large pool of doctors and medical experts available online, doctors can consult specialists while making a tough decision. Telemedicine software directly integrates with the EHR system and patient’s past medical histories, offering greater insight into the patient’s conditions. This ultimately results in better data-backed decision making and ensuring that the patients don’t lose out on quality healthcare.
SoftClinic Telemedicine Software
Designed for the New Normal, SoftClinic’s Telemedicine software is fully cloud-enabled helping doctors virtualize their entire clinic. You can communicate with the patient over a video call, audio, text message and send out prescriptions electronically. Offered at competitive pricing, the telemedicine software will transform how you manage your patients.
Key Features
- Video & Chat Communication
- Management Services
- Digital Prescriptions
- Budget-Friendly
- Virtual OPD
Conclusion
With a number of benefits for patients and doctors, Telemedicine is set to become the norm for remote healthcare. The consumer confidence is increasing in Virtual Care and doctors are getting comfortable with the technology. Even after the Covid19 pandemic is over, the Virtual Care tech will proliferate and set the tone for 21st Century Healthcare.