Coming off of a wiggy time in the world, telehealth stats have skyrocketed. Although preventive care is one of the most important pillars of public health, a 2020 study mentions that only an estimated 8% of Americans undergo routine preventive screenings. The paper published on NCBI states that missed prevention opportunities cost the US a total of $750 billion a year.
For those of you that follow me, you might know I work with American Cancer Society and prevention is one of our top priorities. With the rise of telehealth, preventive care can be great to combat the inconveniences that may cause patients to forego necessary medical care. By reducing financial and geographical barriers, remote healthcare can become more accessible to patients and reduce the strain on major hospitals and densely populated areas.
Telehealth expands accessibility
Telehealth is particularly crucial now as the United States is facing a shortage of medical professionals. Pew reports that the demand for nurses is slated to increase drastically, with 195,000 vacancies needing to be filled yearly until 2030. Doctors, on the other hand, are expected to face a shortage of 124,000 by 2034. Fortunately, telehealth can help procure appointments for non-urgent conditions.
Fortunately, many states now allow nurse practitioners to practice independently — even across state lines. These professionals are qualified to help ease the physician shortage, so you can consult them through telehealth as well. Telehealth even lets them expand their scope of practice. If nurse practitioners in Utah wish to expand their practice to Nevada, they need only obtain national certification in their practice specialty. Because of this, they can accommodate patients from areas where healthcare professionals are most needed. This state of affairs ultimately means you can get your concerns checked before these conditions worsen.
Telehealth lowers the cost of medical expenses
Arguably one of the most important benefit telehealth has brought us is that it lowers medical expenses. A WebMD survey on medical care reveals that 7 in 10 Americans have delayed receiving healthcare due to financial concerns. Although this delay may offer a temporary financial reprieve, potentially worsening conditions due to neglect may drive up costs for patients in the long run.
Data from Cigna further finds that the average cost for virtual care visits is $93 lower than an in-person visit. When comparing remote to in-person sessions, seeing a specialist costs $120 less, and urgent care $141. Moreover, because telehealth is conducted remotely, it also allows patients to forego expenses for travel. This ability to devote more attention to your symptoms can also lower the incidence of emergency room or urgent care visits, which are costly as well.
Telehealth promotes consistency and timeliness
Telehealth furthers opportunities for remote patient monitoring (RPM), which allows healthcare to be integrated into the patient’s life wherever they may be. Our article ‘Look After Your Health And Wellbeing With These 4 Tips’ outlines crucial practices like diet, exercise, and sleep which may require more stringency for preventive care. By pairing RPM devices like smartwatches with telehealth, patients and their families can receive greater support for these practices as well as other prescriptions. It can thus promote consistency and engagement with treatments at home.
Telehealth also allows the automation of a patient’s readings, which allows medical professionals to monitor any complications before or as they arise. With user-friendly devices that monitor patient vitals, patients can ultimately maintain consistent communication with their physicians.
Remote medical care is a crucial player in the healthcare industry today. As the world continues to become more digitized, telehealth is working to make preventive care even more accessible and convenient.
