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.
One of the most beautiful aspects of technology is its ability to continually evolve and allow for industries across the board to update how they do business. Whether we are talking about improved tax software for accountants; automated equipment for factories; or updated telecommunication features, technology’s impact has – and always will be – vast.
In the medical community, evolving technology has made it easier for healthcare practitioners to connect with patients regardless of location. While variations of virtual medicine technology existed prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, such a crisis certainly resulted in platform improvements from existing providers and an open door to others (like Banty) interested in taking telemedicine to the next level.
While the pandemic has proved to be a challenge on a number of levels for those in the medical community, it has allowed such individuals to better understand why virtual medicine now plays a big role in healthcare.
Remote Visits
For years, doctors would offer over-the-phone consultations (when applicable) to patients unable to physically make it to their clinic. This allowed all parties involved to have a dialogue about a given health matter to determine its severity and next steps. The challenge, though, is that this type of care can only accomplish so much if the doctor can’t see the patient.
An online doctor’s appointment, meanwhile, offers the physician and patient the chance to have a face-to-face conversation. This can result in a better diagnosis and a more thorough appointment than what could occur during a phone call.
Another major perk of online doctor visits is that it keeps patients who may have trouble physically making it to an appointment from having to trek their way to the doctor’s office.
Maximizes a Patient’s Time
In some instances, patients will put off appointments because of how long it can take to travel to and from a doctor’s appointment, as well as how much time will have to be spent at the clinic before actually seeing their physician.
The last thing any medical clinic should want is patients putting their health on the backburner because they feel their appointments are an inconvenience scheduling wise.
When a medical clinic offers patients the flexibility to have a live video chat online with their physician, convenience is a built-in feature. For instance, someone who works at an office can have their virtual clinic open in the background and continue performing their task until the doctor is ready to see them.
For those on-the-go, online doctor appointments can be had from the car, or another private space in which detailed medical conversations can be had.
Clinic Flexibility Can be Had
In these times, medical clinics need to have flexibility in terms of the care they offer patients. Perhaps the easiest way to diversify the way in which patients are seen, is to allow them to have video calls with their doctor.
That said, just because a clinic offers virtual medicine services, that doesn’t mean a clinic only has to offer virtual medicine services. In fact, in-person appointments should still be encouraged when necessary.
Simply put, having a strong telemedicine solution available at a clinic allows it to remain flexible and serve the needs of all patients – those who want to come to the clinic, as well as those who would prefer a distanced consult.
The tools for optimal clinic flexibility are widely available to clinics. In order for the healthcare industry to continually evolve with the times, physicians need to be open to seeing patients in a variety of different ways.
