The remarkable, recent advances in technology have led to the use of telehealth as an innovative method of providing immediate and rapid medical treatment and patient consultation to patients who live in remote places.
Telehealth does not just involve using video conferencing and entails an enormous change in the infrastructure, technology and operational processes and human resources as well as the physician-patient relationships. Of all the agents of change that are involved, technology is the one that has the most impact.
Two different technologies exist that are online video conferencing as well as self-serving kiosks that are changing the relationships between patients, healthcare providers and medical facilities to the benefit of everyone.
Making medical appointments easier than ever before to everyone
As we all know , it isn’t an easy task scheduling medical appointments and taking the time to go back and forth to get a single cheque. For those who live far from their home or who are juggling many jobs, it can be extremely difficult to find the time to do something that’s vitally essential.
One of the key factors that drive the growth of telehealth like mentioned earlier is technology. Through the use of videoconferencing online and self-serving kiosks that are located in medical facilities, people are now able to access medical care without having to miss some of their time.
Online video tools for conferencing
With the help of online video tools, patients and doctors are able to easily communicate with each other in real-time feedback. The simplicity of these tools allows for a simple process to make an appointment. This is particularly beneficial for those who live far from the medical center and frequently rely on public transportation for their long journey.
The cost and time involved for a single appointment makes people reluctant to seek assistance often dangerous in not being able to recognize early signs of disease. If you don’t have much time due to multiple obligations or having to take care of their family members or have a busy schedule, an online appointment could be life-saving. Patients are able to easily check in with their doctors to find out whether an in-person exam is required.
Utilizing self-serving kiosks to free time and effort from administrative procedures
Since self-service kiosks have been being used in a variety of sectors, including retail, service public spaces and servicing The trend is creating a ripple effect for healthcare. Hospitals and medical facilities are able to install kiosks for check-in for patients, building directories and wayfinding, patient data logs, payment and more.
Imagine this: prior to when the patient arrives at for an appointment, she / could pay at an electronic kiosk, without the need for an employee to write down all the details manually and then typing it into a computer. If a patient has to undergo several examinations and instructions, they could be given by the kiosk. If there’s an appointment in the future the patient may use the kiosk to look up the specifics and print the details for records-keeping.
Self-service kiosks can help save medical professionals and patients much time waiting for administrative processes to be completed. The kiosks can be placed around the hospital to ensure that patients have quick access.
Enhance The quality of the care provided to chronic illnesses
For patients with an ongoing illness and have frequently visit an medical facility to check-up the use of telehealth may help them avoid having to drive between the two locations. It’s not the time saved the patient, but it’s also also better to allocate resources for all parties affected. The advantages are:
Rural residents also have access to the same amount of medical care as well. With around 57 million Americans living in rural areas Many patients have difficulties obtaining medical services. Not only do they have to travel a long distance for every appointment, but cost is another issue. The greatest advantage is that patients continue to receive support in at home from the comfort of their homes.
Doctors can keep track of patient changes using telehealth technology doctors can communicate with patients regularly and adjust their lifestyle, such as the choice of diet, sleep patterns, or exercise frequently. By receiving timely feedback and evaluation patients will receive specific recommendations for establishing an efficient recovery strategy.
The onset of new symptoms is in the early stages: people suffering from chronic illness may develop small new symptoms that could be unrelated or not be connected with the condition. If a patient isn’t able to regularly check in with their healthcare provider because of time, travel distance or cost concerns The new signs are usually not noticed. But, thanks to telehealth technology such as online video calls doctors can identify suspicious symptoms and take action to stop the illness from becoming worse.
Lower hospital readmissions Patients suffering from chronic illnesses are the most frequent admissions. If care providers are able to remotely monitor and monitor the patient’s lifestyle and activities, it will lower the chance of having to readmit. It also lowers the cost of healthcare both for patients and the care providers.
The relationship between doctor and patient can be improved
The capability for doctors to give medical advice and receive immediate feedback from patients without leaving the comfort of their homes will greatly enhance the patient-doctor relationship and overall quality.
It’s much more peaceful when both parties are home. The home-like atmosphere can make it more relaxing during each appointment. For caregivers, they will not feel as if they’re in a hospital and that all of their activities are being monitored. It’s like an informal chat, which relieves pressure from health professionals but be able to complete the task. For patients, the ease of home may help reduce stress and make them more inclined to divulge information regarding their health issues.
Regular visits can aid doctors in learning more about patients. However, when it’s difficult to set up regular check-ins for clients due to conflicts in time and the hassle for patients to return in the hospital healthcare providers are able to depend on their medical and appointment record.
It’s now easy the two parties get in touch with one another, with more flexibility regarding the frequency and schedule doctors are able to get to know their patients in a way that is more personal. If a healthy and productive relationship is built it will improve the overall quality of the experience will be significantly enhanced as more information including real-time feedback, communication and feedback are available.
Making administrative processes in medical facilities more efficient
Another important technology that can aid in reducing workload and increasing efficiency of the entire process and the experience is self-service kiosks. If patients have to visit the hospital, a lot of the time is filled out with paperwork, standing in lines or locating directions, and a myriad of other administrative tasks. Here are a few typical instances:
When patients are able to check-in without assistance, staff members can concentrate on more important tasks which ultimately improve the patient experience. While the patient is registering software, it can check the patient’s information and, if necessary request that patients fill in the missing information for their profile. Hospitals have access to the most up-to-date patient information , without the need to check with patients. The kiosks are all connected to speed up the process.
Building directory and wayfinding: visitors, patients and even vendors can use the wayfinding kiosks to function as an office in a virtual setting and provide directions to people to find easily where they’re required to go.
HR kiosk for caregivers and staff members: Internal staff can also utilize kiosks to check in and leave, scan out documents and manage PTO and other administrative requests.
Alongside bringing in physical kiosks that have specialized software that is designed to improve different processes, there’s additional software such as device lockdown solutions to ensure that the kiosks function as they were intended to. Lockdown solutions for devices can enable IT managers to restrict the kiosk to a single app (cheque-in gateway, wayfinding or any other application that is specialized) and ensure that visitors aren’t able to alter the kiosk.
Lower costs and better allocation of resources for all
One of the advantages of implementing telehealth solutions such as self-serving kiosks is that they help reduce expenses and allot resources:
Reduced transportation costs for patients and transfers between hospitals: by remote payment using video-conferencing software online doctors can keep an eye on the health of patients and schedule regular appointments without having patients travel for hours to an office.
Less admissions to ER through screening the patient and finding out their health condition through a short online appointment, cases which don’t need ER treatment could be directed to other sources or medical assistance. This will significantly reduce ER work load, both in terms of the equipment, as well as financial and personnel resources which have to be reinvested every day. Today, ER can be utilized for emergency situations that require immediate attention.
Kiosks can cut down on waiting and administrative tasks that are manual: through the installation of self-serving kiosks to assist with the patient check-in and gather the necessary information, there’s no requirement for staff to manually organize the information and then log them onto computers. Staff can concentrate on tasks of a higher level to enhance the quality of services they offer to patients. When all information is centralised and linked to one location all staff has access to the most up-to-date information that they require.
Convert physical offices into hospital beds. Since more healthcare providers are able to make appointments for medical care online, hospitals are able to reduce their physical office space, and make more hospital beds available for patients who require special medical attention.
