Appointments in modern telemedicine are conducted between a patient and a healthcare provider’s office, anywhere from minutes to miles away; both parties must be able to communicate with each other during the consultation. Even though telemedicine had grown in popularity, the epidemic caused demand to outstrip supply for the first time. Patients are increasingly making decisions about their healthcare, opting for more alternatives to save costs, cut travel time, and schedule treatments at times convenient for them, giving rise to a trend known as consumer-directed medicine. The availability of test findings through mobile apps or websites, the collecting of tiny specimens, and virtual medical consultations are all on the rise.
The current COVID-19 epidemic has halted and probably even accelerated these patterns. In some instances, in-person medical care was replaced by 97% of telemedicine consultations. During March 2020, several New York hospitals will have implemented system changes that will allow them to provide 83,000 telemedicine visits and over 30,000 telephone or video consultations in the mental health field. Moreover, in light of certain diseases that prohibit physical contact, Telehealth, however, stands as a feasible virtual communication between the patient and medical professionals. And because of its widespread popularity in both developed and developing countries, healthcare companies intend to build a reliable and secure telehealth infrastructure while simultaneously protecting patient privacy—certain practices, such as the HIPAA system, comply with modern escalation protocols. This system will provide basic tutorials and guidelines for Telehealth and determine whether the patient is suitable for a face-to-face appointment or receiving immediate emergency service.
What Effect Does This Have on Medical Laboratories
Because COVID-19 testing may be done at home, there has been a significant demand for tests that employ nose swabs and saliva. In addition, there has been a rise in COVID-19 antibody testing. As a result, both of these types of tests are in high demand. Additionally, developments are being made in diagnostic tools that are sold directly to consumers and use blood samples. However, none of these considerations, including payment, are helpful to medical laboratories’ managers attempting to discover innovative means of collecting specimens for testing that support Telehealth physicians. As a result, traditional doctors may indeed get replaced by Telehealth. Still, a report by the Community health centers’ national association titled “Community Health Centers Lead in Telehealth Adoption During Pandemic” states that 98% of community health centers in the US already employ telehealth services.
The NACHC lists one of the significant problems with telemedicine: notes the fact that not all patients have access to the equipment required to make Telehealth a practical substitute for routine office visits. Furthermore, most patients visiting NACHC clinics are “poor income, minority, and uninsured or publicly insured.”. Thus, “inadequate bandwidth” is listed by the NACHC as one of the main obstacles to the ongoing use of Telehealth. “Patients without dependable internet or the appropriate equipment continue to have difficulty accessing services, resulting in foregone or delayed care,” according to the NACHC. The AACC stated that “innovations in blood sample collection are showing their utility and validity just in time for the drive toward home-based care.” The article describes Neoteryx’s Mitra micro-sampling instruments. Organ transplant recipients currently utilize these devices, which employ a finger prick to collect 20 uL of blood. Dried blood spots are used in another technique.
Although COVID-19 is a factor, it is not the only one influencing the development of new healthcare technologies that might increase the alternatives available to medical laboratories seeking ways to collect samples remotely. “There is a mobile app for it” is recently becoming the Standard in Healthcare as Smartphones Allow Access to Patient Medical Records and Medical Laboratory Test Results, according to a report from Dark Daily on smartphone applications.
Benefits of Telehealth in Medical Labs
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world entered a new dimension, creating an instant and convenient lifestyle for people worldwide. The same holds for new technology developments like “Telehealth.” Traditional clinics and hospitals can only render medical services to urban areas, thus creating a massive gap for people residing in remote/slum areas. This acts as a barrier between the healthcare provider and the desired patient. However, patients might quickly become immobile with telemedicine, especially favoring the physically disabled populace.
Finding a solution that suits you and taking control of your health, turning to Telehealth services such as online lab testing may be the answer you’re searching for.
Some of the benefits are:
- Patients’ results are improved
- Availability of Lab Test Packages Online
- Convenience
- Reliability and Accuracy
- Save Money
- Efficient Monitoring
Furthermore, A flexible option like telemedicine may increase income in several ways. Hospitals can now handle patients who would typically be moved to another institution due to the greater availability of specialized doctors. Telemedicine may be used in routine procedures, such as screening low-acuity patients, to boost productivity and patient throughput. Medical facilities can also expand their availability to treat patients by extending their hours. The prospects for raising cash will unavoidably grow as hospitals and clinics use telemedicine in ever more inventive ways.
Conclusion
Telehealth services, including remote lab tests and telemedicine consultations, make keeping tabs on your health from home simpler. But remember that most online lab tests still call for a trip to a partner lab, not at-home execution.
This is because most of these exams still need the presence of an instructor or facilitator. The fact is, nevertheless, that there are many advantages to ordering lab tests online that you shouldn’t ignore. Physical separation is necessary for the treatment of a highly infectious illness. Keeping patients safe while receiving care remotely is crucial, and Telehealth’s simplicity makes it possible to do so while providing a user-friendly environment. It is now easier to see how telemedicine compares to conventional treatment regarding patient and provider satisfaction. Perhaps this fulfillment will help Telehealth endure and develop so that it can better meet customers (i.e., patients) wants and enhance the effectiveness and outcomes of treatment.