Feature
The Doctor Will “See” You Now
I
t all started as an outlandish idea in 1924 where doctors would use robotic
fingers and a projected video feed to examine patients from afar. By 2020,
telehealth is projected to be a $34 billion industry and is expanding far beyond
its primary usage of delivering care to patients in remote areas. Telehealth today
is a combination of point of care video collaboration systems, remote scope
exam cameras and Bluetooth enabled stethoscopes, all supported by telehealth
workflow software – making virtual care synonymous with in-person care. By
supplementing in-person consultations with virtual visits, skilled nursing facilities
can dramatically improve patient outcomes while lowering the cost of care.
But what about the patients? How do they really feel
By combining collaboration tools and
peripheral devices at the point of care,
facilities can offer increased levels of provider
interaction for high-risk patients.
about using telehealth technologies? Nearly 75 percent of
patients are comfortable communicating with a doctor via
technology in place of an in-person visit, and 76 percent
prioritize access to care over their need for an in-person
interaction.1 In a study of 8,000 patients who used
telehealth services, patients found no difference between
the virtual appointme