Over the last decade, especially in the last few years, technological advances have helped health care providers deliver care to patients who may not otherwise have access to it. However, this poses questions about the validity of telemedicine, compared to “standard care”, and whether or not this may be the future of health care – will telemedicine eventually replace in-person visits? Will it only be used when traditional care is not possible? Here I’ve compiled the pros and cons of this latest healthcare trend:
PRO: Accessibility
Having telemedicine makes health care more accessible for people who may otherwise struggle, such as rural populations, or those with physical disabilities.
CON: Not in-person
While a great option for many, telemedicine or virtual health lacks the in-person perk a standard medical appointment would offer.
PRO: One stop shop
Using telemedicine means using some kind of patient portal or hub, which can make it easier to manage different health care providers under one system.
CON: Data and Privacy
While technology does make some things easier, there is always a risk that relying only on telemedicine could potentially compromise patient health information, for example, if there were major data breaches in the video software used for telemedicine.
PRO: Helps smaller hospitals
Telemedicine can help smaller hospitals and clinics transfer critical care they may not be equipped to handle over to specialists thousands of miles away, quicker than ever.
CON: Miscommunication
Relying on the internet may result in spotty connections with video chats, leading to miscommunication, wrong diagnoses, and/or incorrect prescriptions.
PRO: Reduced wait time
The flexibility of making a virtual appointment can help a patient be seen sooner, as well as decrease the burden of overbooked in-person appointments at clinics
These are all points to consider as we start to witness this on-going transformation to a more digital era in our health care. What has been your experience with telemedicine, and do you think it’s better, worse, or the same as standard care? Leave your comments below!
Gauri's Quiet Corner 
I believe Technology will increasingly play a pivotal role in the medical space especially Telemedicine. The use of Drones as means of transport for emergency telemedicine services will start to grow as FAA relaxes some of their rules. The drone’s ability to drop in on an accident, disaster site or remote location with supplies will be crucial. Remote diagnosis will be the most effective in such scenarios. Mainstream usage will likely follow.
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Interesting point about the use of drones – I hadn’t thought of that. Things like urgent organ harvest for transplant can be done so much faster if this is the route telemedicine goes for emergency care.
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