Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Primary Care Providers, Specialists And Telehealth

By Karen Hill


In most cases, when people talk about health and well being, it is in relation to clinic visits, hospitalization or the cost of insurance. While this is the case, there is a new service taking the health care world by storm, that of Telehealth. In the case of this service, individuals, primary care providers, specialists and administrators can access health services and medical records via remote access through a number of telecommunication and digital technologies.

Individuals can now stay in touch with health care providers while also acquiring advice, intervention and education all while being monitored on a remote basis. In addition, individuals can now be admitted to rehabilitation facilities and hospitals from the comfort of home. Whereas, providers can now supervise care, give presentations, attend distance learning courses and programs, access and share medical records and attend meetings from remote locations.

Some other ways in which the service can be used include performing a robotic surgery through remote access, discussing a case over video conference and providing physical therapy by way of digital monitoring instruments. In addition, providers can also use the service for data sharing of x-rays, MRIs or CT scans with higher level specialists for on the spot interpretations and for telephone and videophone consultations.

Medical advances are now being made in preparation for the growth and aging of the population. For, as this happens, the demands on health care providers, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities also increase. In many cases, health care professionals are being asked to do more and more without any additional funding. Whereas, others are often encouraged to change billing and funding methods based on patient outcome, rather than charging fees for individual services.

While a shortage already exists when it comes to primary care providers in the United States, there are also shortages in a number of specialties. One of the most hard hit when it comes to a shortage of providers is that of speech pathologists and therapists. Whereas, in rural areas, clinics are having a hard time staffing administrators, physicians, physician assistants and nurses due to a lack of mobility in the elderly and limited transportation options for employees and individuals in need of care.

While telemedicine may be similar in scope, there are differences between the two. For the most part, the difference lies in telemedicine only providing for remote access to clinical care while the other provides curative, preventive and promotional care to individuals and administrative assistance to clinics and hospitals. In most cases, these include non-medical applications such as educating providers and completing administrative tasks which often makes the service more preferable than telemedicine in the long run.

The development and history of both tele-applications is deeply rooted in the ongoing growth of technology as well as society. For, people have long desired to relay messages over long distances. In the beginning, torches, electroscopes, optical telegraphy, telegrams, telegraphs, mail and telephones. Now, these early forms of messaging have been replaced by Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and other social networking websites.

Now in the 21st century, even car phones and satellite phones have been outdated by smart phones, notepads and laptop computers, all of which are being used as telecommunication devices. In addition, YouTube and other video sites are now an integral aspect of online education. In fact, a number of programs are now being offered online, including many associated with those interested in working in the medical profession.




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