Introduction
For many, seeing a doctor when you are feeling unwell is a normal practice. Being able to converse with them in person and have them inspect any physical issues you may have is the simplest way to get help. But, as we’ve seen with the pandemic that changed our lives forever, this is not always possible. What can we do to make sure that everyone is still receiving the health care they need in the safest, most efficient way without downgrading the quality of help. Well, that’s where telemedicine comes in. An accessible and fast way to provide medical help to everyone during the uncertain time of the pandemic.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the use of technology (such as your computers, cellphones, etc.) to gain access to health care in a variety of forms. From being able to contact your doctor and show / tell them about how you’re feeling to getting reminders to take your medicine on time and even monitoring you blood pressure, as well as so much more [2]. While telemedicine has certainly been used for many years, it’s been on an exponential rise due to the pandemic that we are currently facing. Infact the American CDC saw a 154% increase in telemedicine doctor visits during March 2020 as compared to the number of visits at the same time the year before [3].
Telemedicine Today
As of now, telemedicine can diagnose and treat many common physical ailments such as allergies, muscular and joint pain, and provide help for mental health issues like anxiety, depression or insomnia [1]. These are all great since they make getting help much more accessible. Looking forward to past the pandemic, the advances made in this field would be greatly beneficial for those living in remote areas, or who have limited access to travel.
Telemedicine Tomorrow
Moving forward, telemedicine will continue to grow, and it’s expected that many new platforms and technologies will be released to help make it an even better experience. One innovation to look forward to is the digitization of medical files. Instead of having to consult your doctor's office every time you need your files you will be able to easily request and access them online. This innovation would benefit both medical professionals and customers because there would be a more consistent method for information to travel between medical offices as well as to customers.
Conclusion
Going in to see your doctor has always been the traditional and most well-known way of getting help when you are feeling unwell or need guidance in terms of health issues. Telemedicine was not an uncommon medium, but most people still opted to go and speak to their doctors in person. But with the pandemic that hit the world by surprise, the use of telemedicine rose dramatically as medical professionals were forced to meet their patient in a socially distanced platform. Looking to the future this field will continue to grow and will be able to provide an even higher quality of care.
References
[1] Dialogue. (n.d.). Ultimate Guide to Telemedicine - for Canadian HR leaders. Retrieved from https://www.dialogue.co/en/ultimateguide-telemedicine
[2] Telemedicine: Ultimate Guide - Everything You Need to Know. (2020, December 22). Retrieved from https://evisit.com/resources/what-is-telemedicine/#1
[3] Trends in the Use of Telehealth During the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, January–March 2020. (2020, October 30). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6943a3.htm
