5 Reasons to be Thankful for Telemedicine

As we are all recovering from stuffing ourselves with turkey and pie and families are enjoying a chance to gather for this uniquely American holiday, we here at SimpleVisit would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate, we want to share with you the top 5 reasons we are thankful for telemedicine:

• Telemedicine helps people get care who didn’t have access to it before
  From rural communities to low-income families, access to care is expanding and we are getting closer to realizing the dream of healthcare for all. Through telemedicine, towns with one or no doctor, patients with no financial ability to secure transportation or services, and many other underserved populations are being provided the opportunity to take care of their health.

• Telemedicine enables emergency care to be delivered sooner in time-sensitive cases
  There have been recent advances in reimbursement for telestroke, the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice becoming active and moving toward implementation, and a marked uptick in resources going towards emergency telepsychiatric care. With the increased movement in these sectors, telemedicine is not only improving care delivery to patients where they need it, but when.

• Telemedicine connects patients to the best doctors for their cases, regardless of proximity
  When it comes to medicine, there is still so much we don’t know. We have so many new discoveries and treatments all the time, but they haven’t always been available to the people who need them most. Through telemedicine patients can consult with specialists anywhere in the world, ensuring that they are receiving the best care for their diagnosis, and often improving their chances for a long and healthy life.

• Telemedicine cuts back on wasted time (and money) for providers from late cancellations and no-show visits
  What they say about time being money is true, and the biggest time- and money-eater of the medical profession is without a doubt late cancellations and no-show appointments. For doctors who are usually over-scheduled and underpaid, every appointment slot is precious, especially in areas with provider shortages or overpopulation. Telemedicine visits enable providers to schedule and reschedule with ease, and eliminates many of the causes of those missed visits for patients, like travel obstacles and scheduling snafus.

• Telemedicine saves consumers money in travel and healthcare costs
  According to a 2016 study, telemedicine appointments can save a consumer an average of $67 in healthcare costs with each routine virtual visit (even more for specialist or complex care visits). Arguably more striking is the savings from lack of travel: an average per-visit time saving of 245 minutes, and cost savings of $156, according to one 2017 study. In a day and age when our pocketbooks feel the sting of a struggling economy and rising cost of living, what’s not to like about that?

We hope this holiday sees you all well and happy! Take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and be safe as you travel from where you’re coming from to where you’re going.