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Understanding Telemedicine and Telehealth

While telemedicine and telehealth have been around for years, they have become more popular in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although many offices and clinics have reopened, many healthcare professionals are still using online resources to connect with their patients.

What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine allows patients to be cared for at a distance, through the use of technology. This form of electronic communication makes remote, interactive communication available, all from the comfort of the patient’s home. Telemedicine is a cost-effective method for providing medical care.

With telemedicine, healthcare providers and patients can still have the same conversation they would in-person. Symptoms, medical issues, medications, and more are discussed via virtual interactive communication. 

Types of telemedicine include

Source: GoodRx

For patients whose doctors do not provide telemedicine, there is an abundance of companies that can assist them with alternative virtual healthcare.

Here are some of the many telemedicine companies available to choose from

Source: Healthline

What is Telehealth?

Similar to telemedicine, telehealth is another method in which medical services are delivered via technology. To put it simply, telemedicine uses remote technologies to deliver health care, health information, and health education to patients. The scope and reach of telehealth, is broader than telemedicine, as it goes beyond providing clinical care. 

Like telemedicine, telehealth uses the same three types of technologies (interactive medicine, remote patient monitoring, and store-and-forward), but also provides mHealth. Mobile health (mHealth) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistances, and other wireless devices.”

Differences between telemedicine and telehealth

Even though the terms are often used interchangeably, telemedicine and telehealth are not the same. Telehealth is an umbrella term of which telemedicine is just a small part. Telemedicine focuses purely on the clinical applications of technology (treatment, diagnosis, and consultation) used by doctors only. 

On the other hand, telehealth is a broader term that goes beyond the clinical aspects of medicine. Health-related services that are a part of telehealth may focus on counseling, public health, and other non-clinical services. 

Telehealth includes some of the following services below

  • Wellness visits (general care)
  • Prescriptions
  • Eye exams
  • Urgent care conditions
  • Nutrition counseling
  • Dermatology
  • Mental health counseling

Source: Telehealth.HHS.gov

The benefits of telemedicine and telehealth

Because of how easily accessible telemedicine and telehealth are for both patients and providers, there is an abundance of benefits that they provide, such as:

Source: Hopkins Medicine

Challenges

Given how beneficial telemedicine and telehealth can be, there are still some problems, especially since they both require technology. Here are some of the main issues with telemedicine and telehealth

Conclusion

Telemedicine and telehealth are great alternatives to visiting a doctor in person. Some medical issues are best addressed directly at an office or clinic. The current pandemic has made telemedicine and telehealth more popular options for patients, but any urgent inquiries or emergencies still need to be addressed in person.