Telehealth: The advantages and disadvantages

Telehealth is a growing concept that allows more flexibility and access to health care services. It allows people to get health advice without leaving the comfort of their own bed.

Telehealth is defined as the delivery of health care services at a distance through the use of technology. It can include everything from conducting medical visits over the computer to monitoring patients' vital signs remotely. Its definition is broader than that of telemedicine, which only includes the remote delivery of health care. Telehealth also includes the training and continuing education of medical professionals (Harvard, 2020).

Its uses are delivered through three main models: synchronous, asynchronous, and remote patient monitoring. Synchronous is simply an over-the-phone doctor's appointment, whereas asynchronous is more similarly related to emailing messages, images, etc. back and forth at the patient and health care providers' own pace. Lastly, remote monitoring is when patient information, such as vitals, is sent to health care providers.  

Telehealth is a method of health care that has evolved through the years. When COVID-19 hit, the number of Telehealth users surged due to the convenience of not needing to leave the home. There are many advantages to this means of health care.

Using technology to deliver health care has several advantages including cost savings, convenience, and the ability to provide care to people with mobility limitations, or those in rural areas who don't have access to a local doctor or clinic. For these reasons, the use of telehealth has grown significantly over the last decade. Currently, 76% of hospitals in the U.S. connect doctors and patients remotely via Telehealth, up from 35% a decade ago (Harvard, 2020).

With that, there are some disadvantages facing the reality of this service, especially for people with limited access to the internet or a mobile device. Despite that, Telehealth has been able to help people access healthcare advice that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

This article provides useful insight into what works and what does not work with telehealth, which is especially relevant to my topic because online healthcare is often viewed as a potential solution for improving access in rural communities. This made me think more critically about telehealth as a solution rather than assuming technology alone can solve healthcare access issues. It is important to consider both the opportunities and limitations of telehealth when designing solutions for rural communities.

Reference

Watson, S. (2020, October 12). Telehealth: The advantages and disadvantages. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/telehealth-the-advantages-and-disadvantages