Monday, February 11, 2019

Primary Care Providers, Specialists And Telehealth

By Karen Hill


In most cases, when people talk about health and well being, it is in relation to clinic visits, hospitalization or the cost of insurance. While this is the case, there is a new service taking the health care world by storm, that of Telehealth. In the case of this service, individuals, primary care providers, specialists and administrators can access health services and medical records via remote access through a number of telecommunication and digital technologies.

With this new service, individuals can stay in contact with medical providers while also acquiring advice, education, intervention, being monitored and can be admitted to hospitals and rehabilitation from the comfort of home. In addition, providers can attend distance learning courses, supervise care, give presentations and attend meetings from anywhere in the world. Whereas, as the service also hosts online information and management systems, records can also be accessed from remote locations.

Some other ways in which the service can be used include performing a robotic surgery through remote access, discussing a case over video conference and providing physical therapy by way of digital monitoring instruments. In addition, providers can also use the service for data sharing of x-rays, MRIs or CT scans with higher level specialists for on the spot interpretations and for telephone and videophone consultations.

A number of medical advances have been made in the last few decades with many more coming in the future. For, as the population grows and people age, the needs for medical care will only continue to increase over time. In many cases, primary health care providers are being asked to go above and beyond normal duties, at least according to various job descriptions.

While a shortage already exists when it comes to primary care providers in the United States, there are also shortages in a number of specialties. One of the most hard hit when it comes to a shortage of providers is that of speech pathologists and therapists. Whereas, in rural areas, clinics are having a hard time staffing administrators, physicians, physician assistants and nurses due to a lack of mobility in the elderly and limited transportation options for employees and individuals in need of care.

While telemedicine may be similar in scope, the Health Resources And Services Administration distinguishes the difference. For, according to the administration, telemedicine only describes remote clinical services such as monitoring and diagnosis while services provided by telecommunication devices include curative, promotional and preventive care. In most cases, this includes non-clinical applications such as provider education and administrative tasks which make services obtained through telecommunication services more preferable in the long run.

The development and history of both tele-applications is deeply rooted in the ongoing growth of technology as well as society. For, people have long desired to relay messages over long distances. In the beginning, torches, electroscopes, optical telegraphy, telegrams, telegraphs, mail and telephones. Now, these early forms of messaging have been replaced by Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and other social networking websites.

The 20th and 21st century have paved the way for beepers, digital devices, including smart phones, notepads and laptops, all of are being used for electronic mail, video conferencing, chatting, tweeting and telephone conversations. In addition, video sites such as YouTube are now playing an integral role in training individuals in a number of areas, including the medical profession. As such, tele-health may just be the beginning of a new phase of digital technology used by clinics, hospitals, primary care providers, specialists, patients and others.




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