How Telemedicine Can Help Address Chronic Illnesses

How Telemedicine Can Help Address Chronic Illnesses

Telemedicine provides remote consultation and therefore requires accurate medical documentation with the help of a medical transcription service provider.

MTS Transcription Services www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com United States

(800) 670 2809

As a medical transcription service provider active in the industry for more than a decade, we have stayed abreast with all technology breakthroughs in the field of medicine and medical transcription. We have seen how telemedicine can be a real game-changer for the health delivery system in any country. According to the American Telemedicine Association, telemedicine refers to the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communication to improve the patient’s health status. It provides remote consultation facility and does not require a visit to the doctor. Therefore it requires accurate medical documentation, which can be ensured with the help of a medical transcription outsourcing firm. Reliable documentation of clinically relevant aspects of the patient encounter will help ensure improved communication with other healthcare providers and co-ordination of follow-up care. Telemedicine allows physicians to see patients and communicate with them in real time. It is an effective solution to minimize unnecessary and expensive emergency room visits.

Telemedicine is especially effective to treat chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Patients can communicate with their doctor and arrange follow-up visits using their Smartphone, desktop computer or tablet. Disease management remotely has become practical now with video and email. Physical exams are vital at first, but 90% of the information physicians use to provide care comes from the patient’s health history.

After the initial consultation, the doctor can provide care through telemedicine in the same way as he or she would do during an office visit.

Telemedicine: Useful for follow-up care Telemedicine is useful for follow-up care. Patients who have equipment at home to monitor their blood pressure, blood sugar or weight, can easily report that to the doctor via email. The physician can monitor responses to interventions and drugs and decide whether follow-up care is needed in person. Consultation in a virtual setting is much more convenient for both physician and patient. Virtual consultations also helps save considerable time.

Apart from monitoring chronic illnesses, telemedicine is also a convenient way if patients need follow-up care after an orthopedic procedure or even after depression. Follow-ups and monitoring patients becomes easier and more efficient owing to automated active monitoring device that provides continual and constant connectivity between the patient and doctor. Telemedicine technology allows patients to avail quality consultation, monitoring, electronic house calls, and treatments from remote locations that lack medical services. It also saves cost and provides better care in locations where the quality of healthcare is not up to the mark.

www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

(800) 670 2809

Challenges of Telemedicine  At home devices may be necessary: Patients with a chronic illness may need special equipment at home to monitor their condition. Blood pressure patients will need blood pressure cuffs that are adjusted to match their doctors’.  Technological hitches: Sometimes technological difficulties may arise which will prevent patients from signing in for their appointment. When using telemedicine services, patients need to ensure that their doctor can provide support over telephone as well.

Telemedicine Documentation Is Important Telemedicine documentation is very important and must be part of a patient’s health record. It must conform to the organization’s policies and procedures as well as the individual healthcare provider’s professional governing body standards. To ensure continuity

of

clinical

patient

care

services,

telemedicine

consultations

must

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documented as per the same guidelines and standards as traditional face-to-face patient visits.

Telemedicine is significant with regard to emergency care. Patients and their family members residing in remote locations can gain access to ER physicians with the support of videoconferencing units. Improved communication can be established between referring and accepting physicians, and ER physicians experienced in providing care for trauma and other critical situations can be immediately involved in patient care. Doctors can record sessions with patients for health records and improve future care. These recordings can be transcribed and stored in the EMR systems.

www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

(800) 670 2809