Healthcare professionals have a number of responsibilities, not the least of which include offering patients the best advice, care, and treatment options available at a given time. Beyond that, it is then up to the patient to take all of that into account when managing their health.
Unfortunately, not all patients are this diligent. Some have a hard time sticking with an in-person medical appointment routine, or even following simple recommendations that could help fix what ails them.
According to recent findings from Medical Economics, 91% of patients polled say using telemedicine services would help them keep their appointments, as well as "manage prescriptions and refills, and follow regimen recommendations."
Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., believes that making virtual medicine services available to patients can help them stay more focused on their health. Here's how:
Easier access to their doctor: Usually, in-person medical appointments take a lot of time, especially when you factor in the commute to and from the clinic. This can be a turn off for patients. By making virtual visits possible, all a patient has to do is log in from their computer, smartphone, or tablet to see their doctor. If the doctor is running behind, patients can perform other tasks while waiting – they won't have to sit in an uncomfortable, crowded waiting room
Scheduling is a simpler process: When a patient participates in a video call with their doctor, they can do it just about anywhere. As such, scheduling becomes more flexible. In-person appointments often force individuals to rejig their agenda several times over to make a doctor's visit work. Eventually, this can prove cumbersome, leaving some patients disinterested in maintaining their healthcare routine
The technology is easy: Telemedicine services have come a long way over the years. Nowadays, the solutions available to medical clinics are rather engaging, feature-rich, and easy to navigate. As such, patients – as long as they are given quick instruction by those at the doctor's office – should have very little trouble logging into an appointment and receiving the same quality treatment they've come to expect
Virtual visits are less stressful: Be it due to traffic, paying for parking, waiting an elongated amount of time to see a doctor, making a trip to the doctor's office can be a stressful experience. Imagine how much better it would be for the patient – and their doctor – if all appointments began on a calm, friendly note every time?
"Patients want to be healthy, but sometimes the in-person appointment experience proves to be a hassle for them. Thus, medical check-in routines go by the wayside," adds Dr. Tytus. "Opening up telemedicine services to these individuals would undoubtedly keep them interested in seeing their doctor more regularly."
Thanks to Elizabethton Star for this coverage of Banty!
