Telemedicine has been discussed
very often in the Healthcare Services context in India. With Indian healthcare
infrastructure falling woefully short of the WHO recommended Doctor to
population ratio as well as the required number of hospital beds to the population,
Telemedicine has most often been touted as the solution to bridge the
healthcare access divide, most often in the context of Rural and Urban
healthcare. However, viewing Telemedicine only as a solution to bridge the
rural and urban health infrastructure has always been fraught with the risks of
a highly narrow perspective to a solution that has the potential to augment a
Hospital’s reach, market access, quality of care at a reasonable cost even in
an urban setting.
In such a scenario, should your
Hospital adopt Telemedicine with the specific intent to have a greater market
access? YES, It should and without any further delay as the technologies have
become quite cost effective compared to a few years ago, and, adoption of
e-commerce and other on-line consumer behaviour is more conducive to roll out
telemedicine service.
What is Telemedicine?
The American Telemedicine
Association (ATA) defines telemedicine as the use of medical information
exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a
patient’s clinical health status. Telemedicine includes a growing variety of
applications and services using two-way video, smart phones, wireless tools and
other forms of telecommunications technology. Starting over forty years ago with
demonstrations of hospitals extending care to patients in remote areas, the use
of telemedicine has spread rapidly and is now becoming integrated into the
ongoing operations of hospitals, specialty departments, home health agencies,
private physician offices, as well as consumer’s homes and workplaces.
American Telemedicine Association has historically considered telemedicine and
telehealth to be interchangeable terms, encompassing a wide definition of
remote healthcare. Patient consultations via video conferencing, transmission
of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital
signs, continuing medical education, consumer-focused wireless applications and
nursing call centers, among other applications, are all considered part of
telemedicine and telehealth.
Opportunity to Hospitals
Telemedicine represents an
unprecedented opportunity for Hospital marketers to increase the number of
patients a hospital can reach. A telemedicine program can increase patient
access to care, an essential service that is a win-win scenario for hospitals
and patients. If a hospital does not already offer telemedicine services,
marketers can influence hospital administrators by identifying underserved
areas that would benefit from telemedicine . Today, nearly anyone with online
access can see a doctor or healthcare professional immediately. No appointment,
no travel, no waiting, no hassle. A computer, smartphone or tablet increasingly
connects patients and providers via live, two-way video consultation—24/7/365. Due
to the integration of Medical devices like an electronic stethoscope, other
medical devices like ECG, BP, Glucose monitor in a Telemedicine Remote Clinic,
the patient experiences the same quality of engagement with the Doctors
providing consultation from the other end. Telemedicine can also enable
multiple doctor consultations aided by an Electronic Health Record for providing quality care to the patient.
Advantages of
Telemedicine to Hospitals
Telemedicine provides both the
convenience and the ability to bridge the gap in access to care, to keep
chronic conditions in check before they escalate, assist in avoiding
unnecessary trips to the emergency department, and assist with unnecessary
inpatient admissions or re-admissions. Telemedicine
enables an enduring relationship between
patients and their providers and serves to promote a focus on wellness and
prevention. Telemedicine Technology has the potential to meet the needs of
health care’s transforming landscape from volume to value and help drive the
cost/quality equation that will help Healthcare organizations succeed.
While no vendor or scientific research
can guarantee a telemedicine program will increase a hospital’s market
share, it is seen to be more important
to gain a competitive advantage through patient engagement. The ability to
provide convenience and satisfaction to the patient and to have them return to
the facility for future care is the key to success for many Healthcare
Organizations.
