Banty Co-Founder and Medical Director, Dr. Richard Tytus, provided the subject matter and direction for this article. The author would like to thank Adam Grant for his editorial assistance in writing the article. Dr. Richard Tytus takes responsibility for the content of the article.
Although COVID-19 will likely be with the world for years to come, many physicians are relieved and excited to be back at their clinics and able to see patients in that capacity. For years, public health and safety measures resulted in those in the healthcare community to rely on telehealth technology to treat patients remotely.
Even though the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, now is not the time for doctors to part ways with virtual medicine. If anything, physicians should continue to embrace the video call technology that made remote patient care a much more rewarding and successful experience.
After all, if you have put all of this work into implementing a telemedicine solution; training a clinical team to use it; and then getting patients to trust online doctor’s appointments, why turn back now?
If you are a healthcare professional on the fence about whether or not to continue with virtual medicine, here are a handful of reasons why you should stick with it:
The Cat is Out of the Bag
What has to be considered here is that doctors were conducting video call appointments with patients years before COVID-19 swooped in. Yes, this deadly virus helped increase the popularity of the technology, but it was by no means new to everyone.
However, now that a large chunk of the population are aware of the existence of online doctor visits and understand the positive impact they can have, it’s too late to pull back.
Some patients – even if they feel safe about seeing their doctor at a clinic – will want the option of being able to see them online for specific types of appointments. If your clinic all of a sudden pulls that possibility away, you may run the risk of alienating a portion of your patient base.
Telehealth’s Future Will be Huge
One thing we learned throughout the pandemic is just how quickly online medicine technology can be developed, rolled out and then successfully harnessed by healthcare professionals and patients alike.
Now that these individuals have had some time to experience such technology in a frequent, intimate manner, a constant series of improvements/upgrades should be expected.
The long list of online medicine providers in the world will continue to research how to make telehealth a better experience for patients and physicians, thus creating a competitive industry that should carry great momentum for years to come.
It’s Best to Be Prepared
While we can all hope that a virus as serious as COVID-19 does not return any time soon, it is pertinent for those in the healthcare industry to be prepared for such a circumstance.
When the pandemic first took hold, not all physicians or clinics were well-versed in telehealth. As a result, patient treatment lagged, and doctors were unable to provide the level of care they’d become used to.
By having a reliable and secure virtual medicine solution at the ready, physicians will be prepared in the unfortunate event of another pandemic-related global shutdown.
Why Not Make Life Easier for Patients?
There are a whole host of patients who have a heck of a time making it to and from a doctor’s appointment. This could be the result of physical, or mental health issues, as well as a lack of transit options.
Others, meanwhile, have a busy schedule filled with personal and professional commitments that make it challenging to get to a doctor’s clinic.
By offering these individuals a convenient alternative, they will no longer need to feel stressed out or concerned about how they’ll be able to get to and from a medical appointment.
