The innovations in healthcare delivery via communications technology show no sign of slowing. In 2019, Barry Beck established Evenly Technologies to serve as one such innovator. Using a combination of advanced imaging technology and patient-centered, in-person visits, Evenly partners with primary care dentists to produce a set of transparent Invisalign aligners customized to the needs of each patient.
A patient first visits an in-person location, where Evenly’s experienced technicians use artificial intelligence to rapidly produce accurate scans. The company then works with some of the best-credentialed clinicians in the country to create accurate modeling, and they then provide in-person aligner fittings. This procedure remains patient-centered and responsive while making care management easier for patients and dentists over the entire course of orthodontic treatment.
Embedding telemedicine into routine care
In recent years, the trend towards telemedicine certainly accelerated during the COVID pandemic. Developments in the design and deployment of telemedicine have literally saved lives. The convenience of telehealth visits have enabled more people to be screened for and receive earlier treatment for infections, cancer, and other diseases.
For serious and chronic conditions, telemedicine does not replace in-person care. But used strategically, it can serve as an ongoing support platform that contributes to comprehensive care. Telemedicine has proven its benefits so well that the United States Department of Health and Human Services continue to maintain many of the related protocol changes it put in place at the start of the pandemic.
Healthcare providers who have planned and implemented telemedicine as one component in a holistic approach have reported notable improvements in the overall quality of care in their practices. Notably, this platform for sharing information quickly over distance has enabled better coordination among multiple providers, a vital need for patients with complex conditions.
Big cost and time savings
A big part of the convenience of telemedicine is cost. Patients can use telemedicine to reduce travel-related time and expenses, time away from work, and other indirect costs to help keep healthcare costs low. In fact, much of the success of telemedicine, experts note, is due to its positive impact on the busy schedules of working-age adults. Today, you can schedule a virtual clinician visit during a work break, or before or after the workday, often with a shorter wait time before the appointment.
A January 10, 2023, article in JAMA Network Open reported that the use of telemedicine results in cost savings to patients of between $147 and $183 per provider visit. In terms of driving time, patients using telehealth reportedly saved an average of almost three hours of round-trip driving time per visit. These cost and time savings flow upward to healthcare institutions and insurance providers as well, due to the lower rate of unnecessary in-person visits and readmissions.
Nimble, responsive 21st-century care
Telemedicine is particularly adaptable and useful for follow-up and post-operative care, for example when a physician needs to monitor a patient’s progress after already delivering key in-person care. And for patients in long-term nursing care facilities, telehealth services can help monitor their condition in partnership with on-site caregivers. Today’s sophisticated telemedicine systems integrate well with wearable monitoring devices and apps to deliver seamless, round-the-clock support.
A source of basic care for underserved people
While these are the major benefits in service to well-resourced patients in richer countries, telemedicine is often the only source of care for people in isolated parts of the US, or in the developing world.
In India, for example, where the number of clinicians cannot keep pace with the need for patient visits, telemedicine has made it possible for millions who otherwise never would have seen a physician to obtain basic care. With hospitals and doctors’ offices in the country often under-resourced, telehealth visits help bridge the equity gap for patients as well as the time and travel deficit for providers.
Paradigm-shattering work in progress
Looking toward telemedicine’s next horizons, researchers and providers are calling for updated public policy and greater regulation, particularly when healthcare touches on privacy. In the US, all telemedicine services must be conducted using equipment and protocols able to secure patient privacy, in compliance with HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Experts continue to address issues of privacy and confidentiality as new developments are made.
In addition, providers are calling for “coverage parity,” a requirement for insurance providers to cover a named service via telehealth if it is also covered for in-person visits. This parity is needed to bring insurance policy into alignment with 21st century developments in care delivery.
It’s also imperative to close gaps in access to technology and internet services, so that income and ZIP Code no longer dictate the quality of care an individual receives.
Telemedicine gives more patients more control of their own time, money, and healthcare decisions. Studies have shown, in fact, that patients who participate in telemedicine tend to become more engaged and active in managing their own care. These are impacts that reach far beyond the numbers to produce a greater quality of life.