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Introduction

Telemedicine has been win popularity all over the world , particularly during the time ofCOVID-19when accession to physical hospital and doctors became a struggle for many in the world . As the humans has advanced with the use of technology in every field , it is no wonder that healthcare has also jumped onto the digital bandwagon . Read on to find out everything about the role of telemedicine in New healthcare , along with its benefits and challenges .

Definition of Telemedicine

According to the World Health Organization , telemedicine is best delineate as “ the legal transfer of health care through the use of info and communications technology to convert important information for diagnosing , treating , as well as preventing disease and injuries . ” harmonise to the American Telemedicine Association , telemedicine is today the “ instinctive evolution of healthcare in the digital humankind . ”(1,2,3,4)In fact , even research and valuation , along with training of health care professional person to advance the health of individual and communities as a whole are today all carried out through telemedicine .

Telemedicine is the advanced technique of diagnosing and treat patient online from anywhere in the world using the internet and communication networks . More and more citizenry used telemedicine during the COVID pandemic when admittance to healthcare and doctor was drastically bound .

Brief History of Telemedicine

It may surprise many people to learn that in its infant stages , telemedicine could in reality be observed in Rome and Greece all the way back in 500 BC . Surprising is n’t it ? During this era , communication between the towns used to primarily occur through human courier , who were used to exit on any medical advice or medicines as require . In fact , even mediums like tripping reflections and locoweed sign were used to pass on medical selective information . These were commonly used over long space to communicate wellness events like deaths , birth , and even eruption of diseases.(5 )

With the invention of telephones and telegraphy , the field of honor of telemedicine also advanced rapidly . These technologies made long - aloofness communicating easier , while also increasing the speed of delivery . It also made it possible to progress to more multitude . This is why telemedicine began to be used by the war machine during the American Civil War to order medical supplies and to communicate information about injuries and deaths on the battlefield .

Perhaps the first genuine enjoyment of telemedicine happened in the 1940s in Pennsylvania when radiology figure of speech were institutionalise between two towns 24 miles aside using the telephone line . This was the first actual example of electronically transferring medical record book in the populace . More advancements were made in the 1950s by a Canadian doctor who developed a teleradiology arrangement . The University of Nebraska , in 1959 , designed and jell up a two - way idiot box system to make it potential to transmit information to medical scholar . Later on , the arrangement was linked to a United States Department of State hospital to allow TV consultations.(6 )

With the widespread use of telephone , the world became more and more connected and telemedicine fix a Modern lease of life as doctor could now provide their patients ’ aesculapian advice over the telephony , and also consult with other doctors to exchange necessary info . Even though telephones may not seem to be that relevant any longer , but nevertheless they play an integral part in win the field of telemedicine .

The concept of telemedicine that we use and know today prepare in the 1950s when the transmission of video images and medical data point come out . The medico and researcher at the University of Nebraska became the first people who used video communicating for aesculapian usage . They even used telemedicine to carry out neurological examinations . From here , many other similar task acquire and became successful.(7,8 )

There is no deny that the advent of the cyberspace had a huge encroachment on the advancement of telemedicine and other health care technologies . The internet made it possible to transfer medical entropy over long distances . It is not incorrect to say that the internet served as the perfect accelerator for the subject area of telemedicine . Multiple technologies along with the net start to be used for telemedicine services . Healthcare provider even began to establish specific healthcare applications to make it easier to exchange and store aesculapian data , armed service for video call over long distances , and mobile applications to allow patients to view their diagnostic reports with a few clicks , communicate with their doctor , and even reincarnate their prescriptions.(9 )

administration around the world also made it potential to promote telemedicine by lay in blank space favorable regulation and technology to make it hard-nosed for doctor to take up the practice of telemedicine .

Importance of Telemedicine in Modern Healthcare

The importance of telemedicine to the healthcare diligence can not be denied . The concept of telemedicine can now be adopt easily into any leg of medicine , properly from nosology to discourse . Be it ophthalmology or radioscopy or even cardiology , telemedicine is clear its front feel in every arena of health care . Not to refer that telemedicine has made it possible for people in remote arena to get access to doctors . In the years to follow , there is no denying that telemedicine will continue to grow in grandness and gain ground impulse apace around the world.(10 )

Telemedicine has a raft of potential and its importance in health care can be matte in many areas , including :

Telemedicine also helps improve the contact degree between doctors and patient role in far - off locations and also make dependable use of health care facilities . At the same time , telemedicine also allows for better connectivity , resulting in fewer hospital admission and re - admissions . The cutting down in waitress time to encounter MD and light approachability to doctors over telemedicine ensures that patients adhere better to their prescription plans .

Another grounds why telemedicine is important in the health care apparatus is the increase advantage it provides in doctor - to - doctor contact and communicating . Doctors are able to expend telemedicine to build their own support networks of doc from all over the humanity . This allows them to not only interchange their science set but also supply better healthcare serve to their patients .

Benefits of Telemedicine

Improved Access To Healthcare

Telemedicine in the form of call pith and even nurse advice lines has made it possible to provide the most quick wellness benefits . Take for example the COVID pandemic , during which it became critical to process the COVID symptom while ensuring that the patient role remain comfortable and secure in their own homes . Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , many patients were wary of shoot the breeze healthcare deftness for concern of contracting the virus . This often made them outdistance themselves from diagnosing and treatment . Telemedicine has increased access to health care in two key areas – rural regions and for the elderly and disabled patient .

Telemedicine can help healthcare system and providers expand their access to rural areas . Using telemedicine in rural areas can help cede healthcare avail and also reduce or make out down on the challenges and burdens that affected role in these areas take on , including transportation issues that rise because of the want to journey to seek specialized care . Telemedicine is also improve the monitoring , communications , and timeliness of the overall healthcare system.(11 )

Telemedicine proved to be an invaluable resource for cater health care during the COVID-19 pandemic for those living in rural areas and it abbreviate the possibility of photograph by cutting out in - person contact stemming from doctor visits .

When compare to the urban orbit , there is a push need for telemedicine in the rural areas for many reasons , including:(12 )

Senior citizens and handicapped people can draw the benefit of telemedicine , one of the big one being that they receive medical precaution and attending powerful in the comfort of their homes . Some of the ways in which telemedicine can specially benefit the aged and handicapped patients are as follows:(13 )

Cost-effectiveness

A study write in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine found that telemedicine is not only convenient , but it is also price - in effect . The sketch discovered that the monetary value savings per telemedicine visit was between $ 19 to $ 121.(15 )

Telemedicine shoot up during the pandemic , and rightfully so weigh citizenry want to avoid going to any public environment . According to a study carried out by McKinsey in April 2020 , telemedicine visits increased by a whopping 78 times when equate to February 2020 . As of July 2021 , the consumption of telemedicine has stabilized at 38 times great than what it was before the pandemic.(16 )

Some of the ways in which telemedicine has repress health care costs are as travel along :

Apart from the cost - effectiveness of telemedicine , the comfort and convenience that telemedicine offers to patients have also enhanced patient expiation across the board . With the availability of telemedicine , there is now no penury to have to drive all the means to the hospital or Dr. ’s clinic or look for tenacious hours in the waiting rooms when you are sick .

Again fall back to the COVID-19 pandemic , telemedicine served as the perfect alternative to face - to - face audience in healthcare circumstance all around the existence . The pandemic also pushed the use of telemedicine in everyday clinical practice and the same has continued even after the lockdown and safety protocols have been lifted .

According to a survey done by the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition among physicians to talk over their experiences using telemedicine , it was found that during the pandemic daytime , almost 60 percent of Dr. found telemedicine services to be well-situated to habituate no matter what kind of practice they ran . Over 50 percentage of doctors also reported that telemedicine increase the gratification of their affected role as well.(17 )

With virtual visit being much easier to pencil into our busy day - to - daylight lives , there is no doubt that telemedicine has become very popular and even the preferred mode of doctor consultation in the human beings . For many parents , telemedicine is the complete solution for scheduling checkups as they do not require to arrange for tyke care or take time off workplace to show their children to the Dr. .

A 2021 telemedicine survey done by Single Care find that 42 pct of the great unwashed were extremely quenched with this form of service . Another 36 percent more claimed to be somewhat slaked , while only less than six percent of people reported not being satisfied with the service.(18 )

Increased Efficiency

Worldwide , the destination of all health care provider always is to provide quality patient care . The same bear on to go for true for the field of telemedicine as well . There is no doubt that in today ’s world , doctor , nurse , and infirmary administrators are all facing a major fourth dimension crunch because of the increasing management requirement and well , simply put , the overall nature of health care caper . Telemedicine , in such a scenario , has managed to make the provision of healthcare services much more in effect by addressing many issues , peculiarly that of communicating , corroboration , and wait times for affected role . lease us see how telemedicine has tackle these issues and increased the efficiency of health care service .

The pandemic find the hike of telemedicine and numerous programing apps . A survey conducted by the development and design company Sequence found that 85 pct of patient report that they had to wait anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes well past their schedule engagement time until they could see their physician . All patients considered this to be a major thriftlessness of their valuable time.(19 )

Telemedicine has made it possible for patients to confab doctors without having to hold off so long after their schedule appointment time . Telemedicine makes it potential for the health care concerns of patient to be quick speak online instead of give birth to make patient role wait at the healthcare facility for their turn to add up .

According to a late study carried out by the University of Iowa on 14 hospitals across Iowa , Nebraska , Kansas , North Dakota , and South Dakota , it was found that these hospitals , all of which used telemedicine , were successful in cut down patient waiting time by an norm of six minutes as compare to those health care facility that were not telemedicine services .

In nearly 40 percent of the telemedicine service encounter , the remote providers proved to be 14 minutes before fourth dimension when compared to the local on - site providers.(20 )

Telemedicine has transubstantiate communication applications in healthcare . Telemedicine gimmick in combining with other technology systems like virtual reality ( VR ) have made communication more immersive . For model , doctors , their teams , and even other consulting workfellow from anywhere in the world can now observe and monitor patients , again site anywhere in the world . full teams can connect from all over the world to observe operative procedures . Through video conferencing , doctors and surgeons can ferment and consult with people who are hundreds or thousands of international mile away . This has made it possible for intercontinental medical teams to work together on aesculapian cases.(21 )

Telemedicine has cut out those day of render to call your doctor , not getting through , and having to get out a message and wait for a callback . Telemedicine has made it possible to intercommunicate with a doc right through direct or exigent messaging , induce communicating much faster . Healthcare can now even be provided outside of even hour , specially in emergency face .

streamline of documentation is also another welfare of telemedicine . Telemedicine inspection and repair have made it potential to store and mail secure medical documents for patients and doc to brush up . Doctors , diagnostic lab , and any other aesculapian professional can share test results , and any other relevant medical info through these virtual telemedicine platforms for patient and other consulting Doctor to contain as soon as the results become uncommitted or whenever it is commodious for them . This practical sharing of aesculapian information has further meliorate patients ’ access to receiving quality healthcare.(22,23 )

Challenges of Telemedicine

Technical and Infrastructure Challenges

One of the first consequence that crop up in the far-flung carrying out and acceptance of telemedicine is that not all patient role have memory access to the technology required for using telemedicine effectively . moreover , not all expanse of the world have top - quality internet service that make it possible to curb consultations online for a recollective period of time . And even for those who do have access to the required technology , many mass may still have trouble using it decently and they miss the access to correct training required to contain out teleconsultations.(24 )

pitiful cyberspace connectivity as well as the want of accession to engineering science are some of the bighearted technical barriers facing the widespread acceptance of telemedicine . obtuse net connections mean that you will not be able to well link up with your doctor , and the same defy true for Doctor of the Church as well who do not have respectable cyberspace connexion . Telemedicine often relies extensively on a mellow - speed internet connection for delivering the entire experience.(25 )

On the other hired man , you will usually need to cross-file yourself on a website before you could begin teleconsultation with a doctor . This necessitate going through a lengthy adjustment process and make a login , watchword , and the intact employment . This can scotch many patients and induce them to not show up for the appointments or to just leave the mental process uncomplete .

As of now , there is also a lack of guidance for patients to grapple with the technical matter they face up before or during an date . This is also a grounds for the many no - shows that doctors experience on telemedicine services.(26 )

Interoperability run a very important role in the field of telemedicine . For MD , using telemedicine overhaul does not only look on scheduling a consultation video call with your affected role . Interoperability within telemedicine will boost the overall care delivery model by efficiently mix with other digital Robert William Service and equipment to check there is real - clip data point direction as well that is going on during the practical consultations . Interoperability is a challenge facing telemedicine right now and solving this payoff will ensure that it becomes potential to standardize health care across the chopine and provide access to the right data point at the proper time , regardless of what the affected role ’s maintenance setting might be.(27 )

At the same time , fragment , incomplete , and parallel patient datum are also make treatment over telemedicine a challenge . Having an interoperable commutation that comprise , provides , and ensures the safety and handiness of this eccentric of aesculapian data point is the need of the hour . For example , regardless of whether the consulting doctor and local Doctor of the Church use the same electronic medical record vendor or unlike vendors , there should be some interconnectivity that makes it easier for doctors to get at correct patient information.(28 )

One of the biggest legal and regulatory issues that crop up with telemedicine is that of doctor licensing . A Dr. require to be licensed under or by the legal power of the aesculapian board of the state or country where the patient role is place in . It is important to realize that doctors who prescribe or regale patient through virtual platforms are ultimately practicing medicine and therefore must have the appropriate and necessary licensure in all the jurisdiction where the patient are have medical care . A doctor who does not have such postulate licensure can face problem and be subject to prosecution for practicing practice of medicine without a license.(29 )

At the same clock time , most professional liability insurance policies tend to exclude the option of having coverage for unlicensed activities , while sealed res publica actually require professional indebtedness insurance firm to cover practice that goes beyond the boundaries of that exceptional state . think that even in cases where in - someone action remains cover by the insurance policy , these activities might not inevitably be insured if it is provided digitally at a length , even if the physician is practice in within the state of licensure.(30 )

The future of telemedicine regulations as of today stay extremely active , and it is yet unclear whether the lowered regulatory barriers that were put in place temporarily over the pandemic geological period will become lasting or will be revoked at any give point in metre . Many states already pulled back on some of the regulating associate to telemedicine after the pandemic end , while some still are bide by the irregular emergency policies of telemedicine that were put in place.(31 )

While the field of telemedicine remains highly advanced and appeals to all party regard , one can not deny that there is always the challenge of privateness and security measures risk of infection associate with telemedicine . The privateness and security risks related to telemedicine organisation can negatively affect patient role as well as doctors . It also pretend the level of faith between doctors and patient and the willingness to adopt and use such a system .

The challenge is that current telemedicine regulations do not offer tolerable steering for the aegis of users .

A late survey carried out by Deloitte carried out on physicians found them to be a lilliputian less enthusiastic about adopting telemedicine . Nearly one - third of the respondent sound out that the seclusion and security of their patient entropy was one of their primary concerns.(32 )

to address the unease of physicians and pave the way for capital adoption of telemedicine , service providers have to spring up a solid cyber strategy that will mitigate these risks .

Some of other concealment and security measures areas that require to be focused on in the do years include :

Clinical and Ethical Challenges

The underlying intent of any healthcare and aesculapian care is to better or maintain the timbre of tutelage and well - being of patient . A two - part survey of over 4800 practicing doc in the United States was carried out by Decision Resources Groups . The study found that most 60 percent of all physicians still had some reservations about the calibre of charge they could furnish over telemedicine , that is , remotely.(33 )

Many Dr. have also expressed their concern on the quality of these telehealth visits , especially the inability to impart out a physical scrutiny of their patients .

The same also hold true for patients . According to the Software Advice ’s 2022 State of Telemedicine Survey , the legal age of patients did choose to use telemedicine and the advantage of practical appointments for dealing with common diseases , but many still had reservations about the quality of care they are receive , especially in matters of serious diseases.(34 )

Some of the concerns related to the tone of charge and telemedicine include :

Patient self-sufficiency in health care concern to the right of competent grownup to make informed decisions about their own aesculapian charge . The issue that arises in telemedicine is that since there is no doctor - patient boldness - to - face fundamental interaction , will the MD be able to make an informed conclusion about the patient ’s health , treatment , or any other decisiveness that has to be assume base on their on-line or virtual interaction?(35 )

At the same time , telemedicine might overpower a affected role with multiple choices , thus undermining their autonomy .

Another challenge facing the telemedicine manufacture is the issue of informed consent . As per the ordinance in plaza , telemedicine providers or platform are legally expect to get a affected role ’s informed consent once they decide to employ telemedicine for an appointment . However , the issue is that many services or platforms simply assume that the patient is giving their consent when they sign up for their serve . So when the consent is implied or in case it is even recorded , physician also tend to take for granted that the patient role are well mindful of the pros and cons of teleconsultation . However , in reality , whether or not the affected role is actually cognisant of the same or not stay doubtful.(36 )

Examples of Telemedicine Applications

Teleconsultations

Telemedicine is basically a configuration of online teleconsultation with a doctor that is narrowed down by specialty and delivered remotely to patients . The advent of telemedicine has made it possible for people in so many remote locations to get access to quality health care . Patients can not only use it for first - clip consultations but also for follow - ups , specialiser check - ups , medication direction , management of inveterate and life style diseases , etc .

Teleconsultation offers a more focused scope of medical services as compared to the wider force field of telemedicine .

Teleconsultation offers a convenient and price - efficient way for patients to receive discussion and charge . It also reach it potential to equip patients that need home - monitor scheme to maintain and monitor a daily disc of their vitals like glucose levels , roue pressure level , and heart rate . This sort of accession make it useful for doctors to manage the patients ’ wellness and also take immediate emergency action as and when needed.(37 )

Remote Patient Monitoring

The ability to be able to monitor select aspects of a patient ’s wellness from the comfort of their own home is one of the most popular applications of telemedicine . Remote patient monitoring allow health care providers to manage many acute accent as well as chronic conditions , while also reducing the travel toll and transmission risk for the patients .

Some of the symptom and conditions that can be successfully tracked using the ability of remote patient monitoring in telemedicine include:(38,39 )

Many healthcare providers are putting in a place remote patient role monitoring plans for reason such as :

The raise ability of telemedicine platforms to monitor and prevent the ontogeny of serious tortuousness in patients located in outback or rural surface area .

Telestroke Services

Also referred to as stroke telemedicine or telestroke medicine , this diligence of telemedicine services focuses on possess health care professionals who have undergone advanced training in the treatment of strokes by using technology to do by people having a accident in a distant or distant position . These telestroke experts work with many emergency brake healthcare providers to diagnose and treat patient role make a stroke.(40 )

The telestroke specializer pass with other healthcare supplier and the patient needing care through the function of digital cameras , smartphones , cyberspace telecommunication , tablets , and many other technologies . They may even expend automatic telepresence , which allow for providers to have a remote front through the use of a robotlike twist .

The app of telemedicine in stroke medicine makes it potential to bring home the bacon instant care in removed locations from the originate site . Stroke telemedicine ensures that a team of health care professionals put to work together to provide top - character stroke care , thus reducing the chances that the affected role will need to be transfer to another bigger medical facility while having a stroke.(41 )

Future of Telemedicine

Advancements in Technology

The future of telemedicine technology is bright , with new innovations and advancements being developed every day . Here are some potential developments we can expect to see in the future:(42 )

As engineering continue to get ahead , we can expect to see more innovational applications of telemedicine that will better access to care , increase efficiency , and provide better outcomes for patient role .

Expansion of Telemedicine Services

The expansion of telemedicine services in the hereafter is expect to retain , driven by numerous divisor like :

Driven by technological onward motion , increase demand for outside care , cost rescue , improved access to care , and supportive government policies , the expanding upon of telemedicine remains sure .

Integration into Healthcare Systems

The integration of telemedicine into healthcare system is a necessary step for realizing the full potential of telemedicine . Here are some way in which telemedicine can be integrated into healthcare systems:(45,46 )

The desegregation of telemedicine into healthcare organisation is absolutely necessary for expand admission to healthcare , while also improving patient termination . By integrating telemedicine with EHRs , outback monitoring , coaction , patient education , and assignment scheduling , health care providers can ensure that patient pick up the same quality of care regardless of whether it is being seek virtually or in - individual .

Conclusion

Recap of Benefits and Challenges

With the Parousia of applied science , telemedicine has come in a long direction since its conception . Telemedicine today offers a wide range of welfare and challenge for both health care providers and affected role .

Telemedicine allows patient to receive medical care from removed locations , which can meliorate access code to care for patient role in rural or underserved surface area , while also bringing in real cost deliverance . Telemedicine can actually be less expensive than in - person aesculapian guardianship , as it eliminates the penury for affected role to travel to a health care facility , and also reduces the overhead costs for healthcare providers .

Not to mention that the great reward of telemedicine is perhaps in the contrivance is provide patients . Telemedicine allows affected role to receive medical care from the comfort of their homes , thus winnow out the need for travel and time off work . At the same time , telemedicine is equal to of improving patient upshot by offer faster access to guardianship and reducing the danger of infections from in - person visit .

While telemedicine allow affected role to actively remain involved in their own healthcare , this does not mean that the field does not have its own exercise set of challenge .

There is no denying that telemedicine swear intemperately on applied science , and technical issues such as poor internet connectivity or even software glitch can cut off consultation . Telemedicine consultation are also quite restrictive in terms of forcible interrogatory , which can make it hard for healthcare provider to diagnose certain conditions .

At the same time , certain secrecy and security concerns are also a part of the challenges that this subject area presently faces since teleconsultations need the exchange of tender medical info that needs to be properly secured .

Like everything else in the health care industry , telemedicine also offers a range of benefit as well as challenges . While it can improve memory access to care , melt off costs , and improve patient outcomes , it also poses proficient , security , and coverage challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation .

Importance of Telemedicine In The Future Of Healthcare

Telemedicine is expected to play an progressively important part in the future of healthcare for several reason . This field of medicine will ply access to medical maintenance for jillion of people survive in outback or under - developed arena in the creation , and also give up patients to receive medical care right from their homes .

It is also expected that telemedicine will importantly ameliorate patient outcomes by furnish truehearted access to fear , cutting down the risk of infection from in - person visits , and also allow for good management of chronic shape through remote patient monitoring .

And let us not forget that telemedicine has already proven to be an priceless putz during the COVID-19 pandemic , as it allowed health care provider to continue providing medical care while minimizing the risk of contagion and face - to - face interaction .

procession in telemedicine technology , such as remote monitoring devices and teleconsultation platform , along with the eventual rollout of 5 gigabyte all over the world are ask to continue improving the timber of care provided through telemedicine .

One should also have in mind that telemedicine definitely has the potential to make healthcare more sustainable by reducing the carbon footmark of healthcare facilities and reduce the motive for locomotion .

There is no doubt that telemedicine will continue to meet a key role in the future of health care by declare oneself improved access to care , cost saving , better patient outcomes , technological advancements , and even sustainability . As the technology behind telemedicine cover to improve , its welfare are also await to increase , make it an essential tool in modern health care .

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