Telehealth is not a new concept, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become far more commonplace than ever before. In an effort to protect people, many doctor’s office around the world have switched over to a virtual format, allowing patients to meet with them over a video chat service. This isn’t new technology as it’s been around for years. But the current pandemic has forced more providers to use the technology, and as a result of this, the technology has drastically improved over the last few months.
This is good news for everyone as we continue to move forward.
Who benefits from telehealth or virtual medical appointments? Well, during this pandemic, almost everyone has. It allows doctors to provide preliminary care and evaluations without physical closeness. As we’ve seen, this has the ability to protect people from further illness and can even save lives. Once the pandemic subsides, telehealth will continue to hold value. People who don’t have access to reliable transportation or have difficulty moving around will have greater access to care without putting themselves in a potentially tough situation. At the very least, telehealth provides another option for people to get care.
There will be times that a virtual appointment is not going to be helpful. Hopefully, your doctor will let you know when this is the case so that you can get the most out of every appointment that you have. However, if you do have concerns about the effectiveness of a telehealth appointment, please speak with them to your doctor.
COVID-19 has seen a big increase in the usage of telehealth appointments.
Other barriers to using this service may also arise. The smart device technology necessary for video chats to take place is widespread, but it’s not universal, especially amongst the senior population. This is changing, but there’s still a ways to go, especially when it comes to using these types of devices safely.
Telehealth is a valuable resource. It allows more people to get medical assistance because it removes a potential barrier to care that might exist for some. Anytime options are increased when it comes to health, we benefit.
Even though we do not provide medical care, we work closely with providers on many fronts. And like a lot of you, we’ve found that using video chat has made life a lot easier. We’re excited that a lot of people have found that they can actually improve their ability to communicate. This pandemic has been terrible for countless families, but a few good things have arisen during this time. The sudden explosion in leveraging technology more heavily in the medical field is one of the good things that have occurred. Hopefully, this continues to be used and improved upon long after COVID-19 has disappeared.
In the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have questions about how your family can use senior care. If it’s easier for you, we can even use Zoom or another video chat service to connect with you. This way, we can get to know each other, you can learn a little more about what we do, and we can do it all in a safe, responsible, socially distanced manner.
Leave a Reply