How Companies Will Shape the Future Of Telemedicine

• Author: Kelly Cooke
• Posted: 2024-02-13

In times past, it was normal for general practitioners to make house calls if someone in their small community was injured or ill. However, medical centers evolved into large facilities staffed by hundreds of people, just as population centers grew into larger urban environments. As a result, patients soon had to travel to receive the care they needed. Outpatient care and emergency rooms were created to address the need for care on demand. Thanks to modern technological advancements, telemedicine provides a way for people to receive the help they need from the comfort of their own homes.

How Telemedicine Began

HMO plans needed to control costs, and they did this by screening patients via hotlines. Nowadays, a patient can pick up the phone, getting what they need in minutes, including a diagnosis and treatment plan, and skip the trip to the doctor altogether.

Some analysts predict that by 2020, most companies that offer group health care will also support telemedicine. For many, it's now a basic component of employee benefits packages, offering better medical support from any wireless device. It works well for employers too as their workers can quickly treat minor health issues.

The Positives and Negatives of Telemedicine

Much of the time, Telemedicine produces net positive results for both employers and their employees. But as the human resources department needs to refer patients quickly, some negatives can crop up, too.

Benefits of Telemedicine

• Covenience, as employees can log in to an easy-to-use web portal and talk with someone right away. A nurse usually answers any questions one may have, and a doctor can advise a treatment plan based on symptoms. This option is open 24 hours per day.

• Improved access to services, especially for employees living in remote regions with no physical care facilities nearby or those who work long hours.

• No wait times for services you need. Unlike other types of medical care that can take weeks to diagnose or treat, including multiple visits, a telemedicine session can take place virtually and provide options almost instantly.

• Costs for the patient are reduced, with the average telemedicine session costing several times less than a single primary care visit. The care is less involved, but it saves a lot of money for those with chronic conditions or frequent issues.

Possible Negatives of Telemedicine

• Patients may experience a delay in care if they ignore signs until it is too late, as telemedicine is not a substitute for in-person testing. A patient may not be able to describe his or her symptoms to a virtual doctor who has no prior relationship with them, thus resulting in a misdiagnosis.

• RAND did studies that show most people who have access to telemedicine are not using it regularly, with most of the action coming from new joiners trying out the benefits for the first few times.This also means there are fewer benefits in terms of cost.

Encouraging Members to Use the Plan

As you can see, the positives of telemedicine outweigh the negatives. However, companies and their workers need to use telemedicine to see benefits. Employers need to put a plan in place letting their employees know about telemedicine and how it can help them. The HR Department should share info on how to access and use the services and encourage workers to do so while cautioning not to use telemedicine as a substitute for emergency situations.

Since regular users are still not using telemedicine, a company might consider launching a promotional campaign around flu season when the illness is high and many people would prefer to stay home and rest. This way, they can recover at home while still receiving medical help remotely. The campaign can highlight how telemedicine can augment other types of care too, like mental health and wellbeing.

The Future of Telemedicine

The use of telemedicine is likely to increase given how cost-effective and convenient it is. Saving money while not having to wait weeks for a quick word with a doctor provides people with a great incentive.

Premiums have risen a great deal since the ACA, so people are looking for new ways to make the care they need more affordable. We will see easier access to information, flexible plans, and self-pay systems in the future.

In addition, telemedicine doctors will likely become AI programs that can check individual data files and provide quick, accurate diagnoses based on the information there, making telemedicine as beneficial as a mobile app.