Telecare, also known as telehealth, involves the use of digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access healthcare services remotely and manage medical issues without an in-person visit. Through telecare, patients can visit with doctors through video calls, receive care management services to monitor ongoing issues like chronic diseases, and utilize remote patient monitoring technologies to track health data outside of provider visits. Telecare allows for healthcare access in remote and rural areas as well as follow up care beyond traditional clinical settings.
Benefits of Telecare for Patients
For patients, Telemedicine offers convenience and access to care that may be difficult or impossible to receive otherwise. Patients who use telecare can consult with doctors from the comfort of their own homes rather than taking time off from work or missing other responsibilities for an in-person appointment. This increases accessibility to care, especially for those who lack transportation to hospitals and clinics or have limited mobility. Telecare also expands the range of providers available to a patient by removing geographical barriers. Additionally, many chronic disease management programs use remote monitoring to help patients stays on top of health indicators like glucose levels, blood pressure, and weight in between office visits. This strengthens self-care and clinical oversight of ongoing conditions.
Cost Savings of Telemedicine
In addition to patient benefits, telecare provides substantial cost savings opportunities for healthcare organizations and payers. By reducing the need for in-person visits, telehealth appointments can help curb expensive emergency department visits and hospital admissions for minor issues that can be treated virtually. Research has found telecare can cost 30-50% less than traditional in-office care. Telecare programs aimed at managing chronic diseases like diabetes or congestive heart failure through remote monitoring have been shown especially effective at reducing costs over time by preventing expensive complications through early intervention. For payers like health plans and employers, telehealth translates to lower claim costs and improvements to population health metrics that are essential for controlling premium increases.
Wider Adoption of Telecare Services
With its proven benefits and increased acceptance by patients and providers, telecare has seen significant growth rates in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the shift to remote care out of necessity, exposing many more people to viable telehealth options for the first time. As of 2020, more than 1 in 5 Americans report using telecare, up from less than 1%. Usage grew by 154% from 2019 to 2020. Consulting services like Teladoc saw virtual visits balloon from around 60,000 in January to over 1 million in March 2020 as the outbreak intensified. While remote services may decline some post-COVID, experts forecast their continued mainstreaming and expect an annual growth rate around 30% going forward. The permanent integration of telehealth is most advanced within behavioral healthcare, dermatology, primary care, and chronic disease management compared to other specialties. As payment parity from Medicare and commercial insurers takes hold across the country, telecare will cement its position in the standard delivery framework for healthcare.
Telecare in Rural Communities
Nowhere have felt the positive impacts of telehealth more than rural communities. Shortages of specialists, long travel times, and lack of access to basic services have long imposed challenges on rural healthcare systems. Through virtual connections to urban medical centers, telecare provides a potential remedy. Rural hospitals, clinics and providers have worked to integrate telcare carts, remote monitoring equipment, and HIPAA-compliant software to establish live video consultations with specialists located elsewhere. Rural patients can receive cardiology opinions, mental health counseling, pharmacy consults, and other specialized services right in their local facility through telecare without a costly trip of 50 miles or more. While technology gaps and broadband limitations persist as barriers for some, telehealth networks continue expanding to help rural care delivery systems stay financially viable while meeting the demand in their sparsely populated coverage areas.
Future of Telecare
Looking ahead, advancements in Telemedicine technology and data transmission will allow for even more in-depth remote care scenarios. Higher resolution video visits, integration of remote cardiac and pulmonary monitoring tools, at-home diagnostic devices like stethoscopes and otoscopes, augmented reality physical exams, and 3D holograms are innovations being explored. Telehealth also intertwines with the growth of digital health, wearables, and patient portals to promote virtual care centered on individual goals and lifestyles. As the workforce shortages across many medical professions reach a crisis, the incorporation of telehealth, AI, and other tools will play a role in creative solutions to expand capacity and access through virtual connections. While regulatory and reimbursement policies are still evolving, the future remains bright for telecare to revolutionize healthcare delivery by overcoming barriers of distance, cost and time that until now have limited access to quality medical services.
