Telemedicine refers to the provision of health-related procedures, services and information through the means of technological tools. It can include anything from diagnosis to treatment and from monitoring to remote admission and intervention. While the procedure has existed for quite some time, it rose to prominence during the days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when both clinics and ambulatory care used it. However, since the WHO declared the end of the global health emergency at the beginning of May 2023, many have begun wondering if there’s any need for telehealth solutions in the future.
The progress within the sector hasn’t always been linear, and there have been several ups and downs along the way. However, over the past few years, the industry has continued to develop, and telehealth healthcare is now far more common than it was just a few years ago. With that in mind, let’s examine some of the trends set to change the world of telemedicine in 2023 and beyond.
Artificial intelligence
It should come as no surprise that AI solutions are at the top of the list. Since the beginning of 2023, developments in this field have been discussed with increasing frequency and are expected to change the working landscapes across virtually all sectors. Machine learning can undoubtedly be used to improve telemedicine due to the technological aspect, the fundamental characteristic of the care process.
If you require tech-based care, you need to look for a telemedicine platform that incorporates artificial intelligence and is set to add new tools and solutions as the technology advances. There are several ways in which AI can help in this direction, from scheduling visits automatically to spotting symptoms early, as well as assessing the general prognosis.
A significant amount of healthcare expenses is distributed towards patients dealing with chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, which reduce the quality of life and leave the individuals with no choice but to abide by strict lifestyle changes and treatment schemes. Frequent check-ins can help uncover possible health concerns before they worsen and are more challenging to manage. Artificial intelligence makes it easier to collect data relating to these patients so that physicians can administer the best treatment available.
Electronic health records
Telehealth has run into several challenges over the years. One of them is the difficulty of integrating existing EHR. Electronic health records are fully digitized medical history documents providing information about medication, other health conditions and problems, immunization, allergies, laboratory test results and other personal statistics. Integrating this information into the telemedicine system would be highly valuable, as it could enable doctors to coordinate care much better.
It would also help the patients become more involved and aware of their health by allowing them to access the information from a personal device. Yet again, this is particularly helpful in the case of those dealing with a chronic illness which requires lifelong treatment and therapy.
The challenges
The world is changing very fast, which puts healthcare providers in a difficult position since they have to keep up with the changes and adapt their services. Technology can help in this regard, and telemedicine solutions, or their derivatives, might be the answer to many issues the sector is currently struggling with.
In many cases, a virtual-first approach was shown to boost patient satisfaction by making medical help much more accessible. Providers often find it easier to navigate as well in the context of the complex clinical environment of today. Among the most critical challenges that can be solved by telehealth you can find:
- Cost reduction for both patients and providers
- Reducing the barriers associated with health equity and perhaps even those related to social determinants
- Addressing the needs of a growing global population effectively
- Managing the shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers, as well as that of clinical resources
- Improving the experience for patients by permitting faster consultations
- Responding to the demands for more affordable healthcare, especially in the case of inflationary tendencies
Helping communities
If you’re a fan of the great outdoors and include hiking and trekking among your hobbies, you’d think there’s nothing better than living in an area surrounded by natural landscapes everywhere you can look. And while there’s no denying the allure of these places, it’s important to remember that continuous access to healthcare is difficult to come by in remote, rural areas.
Telehealth tools can be employed in this regard, with patients able to visit the local community room or cottage hospital and get help from general practitioners that another physician assists through a device. This means that the examination is complete, and the prescribed treatment will also be optimal. Bringing healthcare telemedicine services to other facilities, such as nursing homes, means that other patients benefit from continuity in their medical treatments.
Personalization
Providing a customized medication or physical therapy scheme is essential to ensuring patients get the best care available. Technology can fix this, too, by making it easier for doctors to see which form of treatment would be most appropriate. For example, even if a specific type of antibiotic would work perfectly to treat a bacterial infection, the patient may have other chronic conditions that make treatment riskier. To avoid complications, an alternative must be discovered. In some cases, you might even require a combination of several pills.
Ideally, the treatment would also consider the general medical history, lifestyle factors and genetics to ensure that there are no detrimental effects overall. Not only does this improve outcomes for patients by a considerable margin, but it also reduces costs by avoiding the trial-and-error period.
As the world progresses to a more tech-powered era, it’s essential to consider how these tools will change the healthcare sector. While there are many benefits, developers must also be mindful of the ways in which technology is used. For example, in the case of artificial intelligence, patients can become concerned about data security and potential threats to their personal information. Providers must be able to guarantee the safety and efficiency of a fully-ethical environment.
