Telemedicine is a relatively new feature in the medical sector. It involves receiving a medical evaluation through the internet, either through video chats or through the use of specialized equipment that can send data to a doctor at a remote location, such as a blood pressure machine that sends readings to a separate office. It has some distinct features that make it beneficial–it is convenient, fast, and pretty easy to implement. However, there are some drawbacks, too.
The biggest drawback is that telemedicine has a huge potential to miss out on warning signs that would be picked up on quite easily in a doctor’s office. For example, if a woman were to walk into an office for a regular checkup but have cigarette burns on her arms and bruises on her face, the doctor would strongly suspect abuse and take steps to protect her. If that same woman were to access a physical remotely, the chances that the woman’s abuse would detected and stopped would be much lesser.
This is an extreme example, but it points out the shortcomings of telemedicine well. Still, some care is better than none at all, and this is where telemedicine may prove to be successful, especially amongst the senior population.
Some tech experts believe that telemedicine has the potential to revolutionize the medical field, much in the same way that Amazon and online shopping have revolutionized how we think about purchasing things. While this certainly could happen, the odds of it happening with the same impact that websites like Amazon have had is not nearly as likely. Care always will need some degree of human interaction involved for it to be effective. Sure, things like blood pressure, temperature, and other symptoms can be measured remotely. But more complicated medical procedures will always need to be conducted in person, regardless of the inconvenience that this creates.
And care is something that is much more effective when a personal connection is created. This is the crux of what our senior care is all about, in fact. When a person is focused on as a person, and not as someone with medical needs or a disability, then the care that they receive is usually more effective. It says that they are loved and not an item on a checklist to be crossed off. It says that the things they care about matter. It says that they are important. That cannot be done well with telemedicine. When it comes to senior care, people deserve much more than the bare minimum.
We do our best to provide this for every person and family that we work with. We care about the people that we work with.
Do you have questions about senior care? Please let us know. One of our team members would love to sit down with you during a free consultation session and help answer your questions and address your concerns. If you believe that good care revolves around a personal touch, this is a great way for you to see what our values and expertise can provide for you and your family at no obligation to you.
Leave a Reply