Telehealth is finally here with us to revolutionize healthcare through provision of solutions to bridge the gap between you as the patient and medical care.
Telehealth leverages on live video conferencing over a secure high speed network for the purpose of clinical consultations, continuous professional education and for administrative collaboration purposes.
We must acknowledge that convenience, accessibility and equality is the essence of good health care. That is why telehealth aims to promote access to healthcare to people in remote and regionally marginalized locations as those in the cities.
Various technologies are leveraged in telehealth to facilitate remote exchange of medical data between patients at home and their clinicians to facilitate diagnosis and monitoring, mostly to manage and support patients with long term health conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Chronic Heart Failure (CHF), Diabetes and Epilepsy.
Through telehealth, people are encouraged to take greater control over their health by regularly monitoring their health conditions to arrest medical issues before they materialize into care-critical concerns.
But How Does Telehealth Work?
It is paramount for us to understand that telehealth is not a service by itself but rather, a collection of technologies and tactics to deliver and enhance virtual medicine, health and education services.
Telehealth comprehensively covers an individual’s needs in several faculties such as dentistry, counselling, physical and occupational therapy, home health, chronic disease monitoring and management, consumer & professional education and disaster management.
Through prudent utilization of telehealth techniques, it is possible to monitor an individual’s vital signs such as blood pressure levels, heart rate fluctuation and transmit this medical data via a telephone line or through a broadband connection to a telehealth monitoring center or to a health care professional.
This data is then monitored and compared against a baseline or a set benchmark of parameters by the patient’s clinician.
If evidence exists of vital signs deviation from the perceived normal parameters, which may be pre-emptive of deterioration in health, an appropriate response is instigated.
Getting Help
Patients should never shy away from calling for help in the event of an emergency or just to make an inquiry. Anyone can call telehealth care and the information shared is treated with utmost confidentiality and the service is also free.
As a bonus, some telehealth care facilities offer translation for English and French with a possibility for support of additional languages.
Once you call, a registered health professional may ask some questions to assess your health problem and advise accordingly. It is good to note that the professional will not diagnose your illness nor write a prescription but rather they may direct you to the most appropriate level of care or assign you to another health professional who may advise accordingly.
The practitioner will help one determine whether to handle the problem themselves, visit a doctor or practitioner, contact a community health service, go to a clinic or even visit an emergency room.
Some Question to Pose During a Telehealth Inquiry
- One may pose questions related to an injury or illness that may require care
- Inquire about chronic illnesses
- Ask about food and healthy living
- Ask about teen health issues
- One may present depression, suicidal or other mental health concerns
- Inquire about medications and drug interactions
- Inquire about breastfeeding
Some of the overall benefits that patients may gain from telehealth care includes gaining more control and understanding of their long term health conditions as well as the benefit of clinicians getting involved in the patient’s well being, which helps to manage timely interventions and to boost the general quality of life.
