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Telemedicine in Birmingham, AL: The Pros and Cons

Posted by AlaMed Injury Clinics | Jun 19, 2021 | 0 Comments

Telemedicine is a new form of medical care that is carried out through video chat. People are adapting to it as it is as it offers several benefits to both the health care provider and the patients. Almost all organizations are incorporating telehealth services in their system.

Especially, in times of this pandemic, telemedicine in Birmingham, AL has reached new highs.

A post-pandemic survey reports that the consumer adoption of telemedicine services in 2020 has jumped to 49%; which was 11% in 2019. Over 50% of the hospitals in the U.S. have already adopted telemedicine and the trend is still rising.

There are various options in telehealth services including consultations, physical therapy, psychotherapy, and even some emergency services. However, there are always some unforeseen challenges to everything no matter how useful it may be.

Here you will get to know the pros and cons of telemedicine:

Pros of Telemedicine in Birmingham, AL:

Adapting telemedicine benefits both; the patient and the healthcare provider. The most highlighted benefit of telemedicine to healthcare providers is that it decreases the cost of providing healthcare services and efficiency, which ultimately works in favor of the patients too. There are more pros that you might want to know about before you adapt to it too.

1. Reduces Overhead Costs:

The fact that the telemedicine service is offered remotely and the data is stored electronically brings about a significant reduction in healthcare service costs. This benefits the health care providers, the patients, and the insurance companies by saving their money. Moreover, it eliminates transportation expenses spent on regular checkups.

2. Boosts Revenue:

Besides being cost-effective, telemedicine helps in boosting revenue by attracting new patients, charging for on-call hours, and reducing no-shows. Moreover, since the telemedicine service is conducted virtually the healthcare providers may need less to no front desk staff and may need fewer exam rooms.

3. Less Exposure to Infections:

This pandemic has made us realize how deadly infections and viruses can be. Telemedicine is effective in that manner as the consultation is done remotely. There won't be any chances for neither the patients, nor the doctor to be exposed to any kind of pathogen that any patient might be carrying.

4. More Accessible and Convenient:

A recent Cisco global survey reveals that 74% of patients are happier with having easier access to healthcare services versus having in-person interactions with the physician. This gives telemedicine consultation priority over traditional consultation.

Virtual care also makes it accessible for the patients to consult a healthcare provider whenever they need to. Moreover, patients living in remote areas, or those homebound for any reason, can conveniently get in touch with a healthcare provider at any time. This on-demand care is one of the major reasons that patients are preferring to switch to telemedicine.

5. Telemedicine Gives Access to More Specialists:

Patients had to commute far and wide to get a consultation from the specialist they wanted to reach. This made it less accessible for all patients as it required some extra travelling cost. Telemedicine in Birmingham, AL has offered the patients better access to more specialists. Now, patients can consult any physicians they want without any trouble.

6. Better Patient Care Quality:

Telemedicine in Birmingham is a patient-centered service, as it provides improved timeliness of care. Patients can efficiently address healthcare issues and receive real-time urgent care consultations and learn about their treatment options within a matter of a few minutes.

Cons of Telemedicine in Birmingham:

Where some people might be happily adapting to telemedicine in Birmingham, there's no denying that it may not be suitable to a few.

  • Limited Physical Examination:

As the consultation takes place virtually, the physicians don't have complete access to physical examination. They can only observe what they see. Physicians feel reluctant to give a diagnosis and consultation based on their observations in a video chat. So, in some cases, a virtual visit may not be enough.

  • Regulatory Barriers:

Telemedicine regulations, healthcare laws, privacy protection rules, and reimbursement policies vary from state to state. So, it might lead some of the tools to fall in a grey area. Even though telemedicine reimbursement policies have been developed to a great extent, it still stands as one of the major issues faced by patients and healthcare providers today.

To promote best practices in telemedicine, doing a little research on your state law regarding it would make a lot of difference. If the pros of telemedicine intrigue you and you are willing to try telemedicine in Birmingham, AL, then schedule your appointment with AlaMed Injury Clinics. We are open to serve you with the best telemedicine practices.

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