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Teleconsultations have seen a 300% increase since the pandemic began Subtitle: The increase of teleconsultations in healthcare Category: Blog Lang: en Tags: Teleconsultations, Technology, Digitalization Author: Mladen Petrovic
One of the most crucial aspects of the evolution and progress of digitalization in the world of healthcare has been teleconsultations. The pandemic in 2020 forced many health clinics, worldwide, to take a different approach in communication but also treatment of patients. It was in this period that digitalization showcased to the world how invaluable the advancements in technology have been and how they can be applied to healthcare as well. Teleconsultations and their surge during the pandemic have brought many novelties for health clinics but also ease of access to clinics for patients.
A vital part of Health digitalization - Teleconsultations
A worldwide pandemic in 2020 changed many of the regular spheres of our lives and influenced numerous industries to change their approach and business model. Healthcare was impacted the most and due to worldwide anxiety and fear, new models of operations for health clinics had to be established. Aside from patient anxiety and fear, the increase in patients itself presented a great challenge for clinics. The rise in patients saw many clinics overbooked and overwhelmed, with not enough room in schedules to fit in new patients.
To begin with, we should first explain what teleconsultations are in the first place. Teleconsultations, also referred to as telehealth, are electronic consultations between patients and doctors. These can be done in the form of regular check-ups, diagnostic sessions, and therapeutic advice. Teleconsultations present a safe and easy way for clinics to communicate with their patients and exchange information. They completely minimize the risk of disease transmission and this was one of the major reasons why many health clinics embarked on the mission to establish well-run, timely, and effective online consultations with their patients during the pandemic. Of course, due to its numerous other benefits, teleconsultations remained in use in different forms and other different circumstances depending on the clinics in question.
Easy of access and availability
The accessibility offered by telecommunications enabled patients to have an easy, quick, and stress-free way of engaging in communication with their healthcare providers. Patients can get in touch with their health clinics regardless of their location. This is why patients living in remote areas have a very convenient way of communicating with healthcare providers and receiving the information needed for their healthcare journey in a timely and easy manner. Those individuals who face challenges when accessing health clinics in person due to their previous conditions also have a convenient means of engaging in communication with their physicians via teleconsultations. With new and improved technology such as natural language processing AI like Patricia by Eniax, patients can communicate with their health clinics at any time, from the comfort of their own homes, and schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments easily. This way patients save time, reduce transport costs, and have a convenient way of reaching out to their healthcare provider if they are otherwise unable to come in person to the clinic.
Chronic disease management, preventive campaigns of health, and regular check-ups
Teleconsultations allow clinics to expand their chronic disease management programs, and help those patients with ongoing monitoring of their chronic diseases by using electronic means of communication for healthcare management. Regular check-ups, as well as preventive campaigns, are performed with a greater success ratio due to the continued care provided without disruptions, regardless of the events happening in the world, patients' remote locations, or other factors. Healthcare providers can easily access and check patients' treatment plans and offer accurate guidance and information even in the situation of a global pandemic.
The reduced burden on the health system with teleconsultations
With further digitalization of healthcare, new advancements have been made to ensure that the health system around the world does not experience the difficulties and challenges that it encountered in 2020. With the development of new health monitoring devices, data gathering, and analytics, and especially AI, health clinics and medical staff are much less burdened.
The integration of new AI technologies and the rise of teleconsultations
All of the previously mentioned benefits have had major positive effects on the global health system, and more and more clinics are willing to go with further digitalization and use of already proven and tested virtual tools and services such as natural language processing AI. Using this kind of AI, clinics enable their patients to engage in natural, timely, and accurate teleconsultations. Virtual health assistants are utilized by this technology to allow for easier and faster scheduling, lowered waiting times, a decrease in the usage of contact centers, and many other benefits.
To sum up, the 300% in the use of teleconsultations showcases the developments and changes in the world of healthcare since the start of the global pandemic. These virtual consultations and appointments have not only allowed for a temporary solution to a problem but ended up providing innovative solutions to many of the current issues in health and have now become an integral part of the healthcare system as well as a starting point for the further development of new digital tools and service such as NLP AI aimed at delivering better and more optimized healthcare experience to the patients around the world.