What Is Telemedicine/Telehealth?

The use of video consultation technology in healthcare is gaining widespread acceptance, but what is telemedicine? There are three major ramifications of this emerging trend, according to experts. They are: Reducing costs and lowering costs, and providing health information to consumers. To learn more about telemedicine, keep reading! Here are some common definitions of the field. In addition, find out about legal ramifications of telemedicine.

Using video technology to diagnose and treat patients

A telemedicine service involves a video consultation between a doctor and a patient. A videoconferencing system, also known as a videoconferencing switch, enables the two parties to share images, data, and other data. A videoconferencing switch functions much like an intelligent hub and directs traffic to different destinations. For example, a videoconferencing switch can send information to different devices in different locations, such as mobile devices.

As healthcare technology is becoming cheaper and more widely available, video conferencing is also a viable option for telemedicine. Telemedicine allows a doctor to examine a patient and treat them remotely. The technology can also be used in home care, with patients able to interact with doctors who live in distant locations. The benefits of telemedicine are many, particularly in rural areas where access to a physician may not be easy.

Providing health information to consumers

Providers and health information providers have a new role in the evolving health ecosystem. Online health information can improve consumer care by influencing treatment decisions. Research shows that 47% of people who sought health information on the internet said that their decisions were influenced by the information they found. Topics of interest range from children's health to leading causes of death. Telemedicine providers can leverage this new role in the health ecosystem to help consumers manage their health.

The direct-to-consumer telehealth model initially aimed to address minor dermatologic and hair loss issues. Such conditions are not commonly treated by telemedicine and a doctor is not always available. Telemedicine can potentially expand into treating chronic conditions. Consumer satisfaction with the experience is a key determinant of long-term relationships with health care providers and following medication regimens. However, there are still some challenges involved.