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Telemedicine is a prevalent trend among hospitals in the US. Around half of the hospitals have already adopted this revolutionary approach meant to improve healthcare services. Are you already incorporating telemedicine in your organization? 

Surveys have confirmed that more than 90% of healthcare organizations have already started implementing the new approach. Knowing that it offers a wide range of benefits, some organizations might be worried about the challenges. Enhancing your organization with new technologies isn’t a straightforward process. In addition, we share the pros and cons of telemedicine. Once you know them, you can decide whether it is a good fit for your organization.

Pros

Telemedicine offers many benefits for healthcare organizations, ranging from decreasing costs, increasing efficiency to keeping loyal customers happy. 

Wide access to service

In a recent survey, many patients declared that they would prefer to have easy access to healthcare services. Convenience is one of the best virtual hospital benefits because patients prefer this approach over in-person visits. Telemedicine allows patients to save the time they would otherwise spend commuting and waiting for their appointment. In addition, obtaining healthcare services online would cost less and save money. Patients living in rural areas can access the services online without spending time and money traveling to the nearest centurion. In addition, busy people that can’t take a day off to visit a doctor can also check up with their doctor from the comfort of their office or home. Patients have straightforward access to healthcare with a well-managed system, online platform, video communication, and apps. 

Reduced costs

Telemedicine doesn’t only save money for the patients. Your organization and the insurance companies will save money by working with a centralized data system. The easy access to healthcare services eliminates the need for urgent visits and regular checkups. For organizations, this means 11% fewer costs.

What are the benefits for your organization? 

• Reducing no shows
• More billable time
• More time for attracting new patients
• Work from home model for physicians

Easy access to specialists

The lack of specialists has been a big problem for rural areas in the US. Whenever a patient needs consultation for their chronic condition, they need to commute to urban areas. Therefore, telemedicine is here to solve that problem. The modern approach makes access to specialists easier, no matter the patient’s location. 

Better engagement

With its concept and specially designed tools, telemedicine enhances patients’ engagement. It allows patients to track their health care goals, leading to improved health in the long run. Patients will feel like the physicians are extensively involved in their process and would appreciate the support. This will motivate them to schedule regular checkups and maintain healthy habits.

Cons

Although telemedicine offers many benefits, it comes with cons as well. Most of them are related to implementation, so every organization should do its best to improve.

Training

Implementing new technologies in your organization requires training. The medical staff included in the process needs to undergo extensive training to ensure the best service. However, organizations should keep in mind that telemedicine will require less staff. Once a nurse can now take care of more patients through the virtual hospital, you will save money in the long run.

Possible problems with technology

Knowing that virtual hospitals work based on connection and systems, we expect to encounter technical problems. For example, a poor connection might lead to mismanagement. However, many patients and medical staff agree that not every aspect of the healthcare service will be provided through telemedicine. Telemedicine is a suitable alternative for cases that don’t require physical visits to the organization.