Why Consumers Love Telehealth

Keeping up with your health is everything, so why do so many patients have trouble doing this? Well it’s not just apathy or simple inconveniences. There are many reasons that can prevent a patient from either

1. Seeking care when they need it
2. Keeping up with their prescribed care
3. Following through on annual check-ups

What are they? The most common reasons are: Distance, Time and Cost.
Telehealth is the bridge between patients and healthcare. It addresses these issues while making situations 1, 2 and 3 possible and simple.

Distance
Telehealth uses everyday technology to facilitate communications at a distance. For example, HIPAA compliant videoconferencing is used to connect a patient face-to-face with a provider, regardless of where they are. Whether a patient is at home or on their lunch break at work, they’ll be able to schedule an appointment and enter the video conference from their phone, tablet or computer. No need for proprietary equipment and definitely no need to make a long trip out somewhere when a conversation with their doctor is in the palm of their hand.

Time
As patients, we’re used to long wait times – even if we have an appointment. And if you didn’t have an appointment, good luck. You can expect to wait even longer. Telehealth is different. You may still experience wait times, but you’re not trapped in a waiting room and you don’t have to go out of your way to meet with a provider. Since you’re able to use your phone to videoconference, you could simply enter the meeting from the comfort of your home and wait while doing something productive. Especially if you’re at work, videoconferencing can be done during your break to keep from taking time off.

Cost
In addition to saving on time spent and distance traveled, Telehealth visits will also save you money. A Telehealth visit costs about $79, compared with about $146 for an office visit.

By reducing the impact these barriers have on patients, they are more likely to seek care when they need it and follow up as they’re supposed to. Telehealth makes it so easy.