This groundbreaking approach offers more efficient access to medical services and supports health administration through electronic information and telecommunication technologies. Find out how RealVNC Connect remote access software makes telehealth possible.
What Is Telehealth?
But what is telehealth, and what are the telehealth services referenced in the McKinsey report above?
In simple terms, telehealth is the use of technology to provide patients with more efficient and convenient access to medical care. Telehealth also encompasses a variety of health resources that facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous communications in healthcare.
Remote access technology is one tool used to eliminate geographical barriers. RealVNC Connect offers a robust solution that enhances telehealth services.
Telehealth has become a cornerstone of modern healthcare, driven by the need for more accessible and convenient care. The following statistics underscore its growing popularity and impact on healthcare delivery:
Telehealth Statistics
Professional health-related education and the adoption of telehealth have grown significantly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge catalyst, forcing medical professionals and healthcare providers to obtain health-related education and find new ways to connect with patients in a distanced world.
Telehealth utilization, according to McKinsey, has increased 38 times from what it was before the pandemic. Also, American Medical Association data says that 85% of doctors have used telemedicine services, with 70% planning to do so again in the future.
Furthermore, a Kaspersky Health study says that at least 91% of health systems now include telehealth systems.
What this data tells us is that telehealth is here to stay.
Telehealth Technology
Telehealth technology refers to the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care.
This technology enables health care professionals to provide remote clinical services, including real-time two-way communication between patients and health care providers.
Telehealth technology includes various forms of digital communication, such as video conferencing, phone calls, and messaging. It also helps in preventive care.
How Telehealth Technology Has Evolved
Telehealth technology has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Advancements in internet connectivity, mobile devices, and digital tools have paved the way for the widespread adoption of telehealth services, which has benefitted public health as a whole.
Today, virtual visits, remote monitoring, and patient portals are becoming commonplace, enhancing the way health providers deliver health care services. These innovations have also improved care coordination, allowing health care providers to share patient information and collaborate remotely.
Telehealth Policy and Regulation
Governments and health care organizations are actively developing guidelines supporting telehealth services adoption while ensuring patient information security and integrity. These policies address key issues like licensure, credentialing, reimbursement, and privacy—and are essential for building trust and sustainability in telehealth.
For example, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) policies ensure that telehealth services are accessible to a broader population and that providers receive fair compensation. These regulatory frameworks underpin the entire telehealth ecosystem, reinforcing its legitimacy and long-term viability.
Telehealth policy and regulation are vital to the successful implementation and sustainability of telehealth services. By addressing key issues and setting clear guidelines, these policies ensure that telehealth can continue to evolve and improve patient care.
Benefits of Telehealth
There are very obvious benefits to the approach. Here are three of the most important ones.
1. Increased Access to Care
Telehealth helps break down geographical barriers, helping doctors provide services to patients in remote areas.
Patients can receive medical consultations from the comfort of their homes, reducing the need for travel and wait times.
3. Convenience and Efficiency
Travel and waiting times are reduced, as medical professionals can access medical equipment and records from anywhere.
4. Continuity of Care
As doctors can access medical equipment remotely, managing a patient’s ongoing care becomes much more efficient.
Patient Engagement and Experience
Patient engagement and experience are critical components of telehealth services. Telehealth technology empowers patients to take a more active role in their health care through tools like remote monitoring, patient portals, and personal health apps.
These tools enable patients to track their medical information, communicate with health care providers, and manage their health care remotely.
Patients can access health care services from the comfort of their own homes, which is particularly beneficial for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Regular monitoring and management of these conditions can be done remotely, reducing the need for frequent in-person visits.
However, telehealth services also present challenges for patient engagement and experience. Patients may require training and support to use telehealth technology effectively.
Health care providers must ensure that patients have access to the necessary communications technology and internet connectivity.
How RealVNC Connect Helps Make Telehealth Possible
RealVNC Connect can help make telehealth services much easier to provide. Remote access software helps break down barriers between medical professionals and their patients. Here are some of the ways RealVNC Connect is a true ally in this area.
Overcoming Geographical Barriers
One of the main advantages of remote access software is also essential for telehealth. No matter how far the physician is from the equipment they need to use, they can access it as if they were in front of it.
Due to the software’s multiplatform capabilities, remote medical device access is very simple.
If you need to consult a patient using an imaging device who is hundreds of miles away, you can bring them to one of your clinics nearby and access the device.
Real-time Collaboration Between Medical Professionals
Would you like to get a specialist’s opinion, but the specialist is in a completely different location from you and the patient? With RealVNC Connect, you can both access the imaging device or patient records in complete security.
Support Ongoing and Chronic Disease Care with Remote Monitoring
Your patient doesn’t need to come in. You can access devices in their homes, constantly monitoring the effects of treatment and only bringing them in when necessary.
Secure Patient Data Access
All the above sounds great, but not if it comes at the expense of putting patient data in danger. In a field as sensitive as healthcare, keeping data secure is paramount. Luckily, RealVNC Connect puts security first.
Our remote access solution is designed to meet and assist with a broad range of industry and government standards and regulations.
It is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials and complies with GDPR and CCPA, ensuring adherence to stringent data protection and privacy guidelines. Additionally, RealVNC supports your compliance with HIPAA and PCI-DSS.
But you don’t have to take our word for what RealVNC Connect can do for you. Take a free trial now and see for yourself!
