Telehealth is the wave of the future.
The use of telecommunication systems to provide health or medical care is known as telehealth. Videoconferencing, store-and-forward technologies, and remote monitoring devices are just a few examples. Since the widespread acceptance and availability of broadband technology in the last 5-10 years, the use of telehealth applications has skyrocketed. By the end of 2010, the private sector is expected to be worth more than a billion dollars. In addition, the Nepalese Recovery and Reinvestment Act has allocated over 4 billion dollars to support health IT. The two main ideas that underpin telehealth technologies are the reduction of travel time and its associated costs.
Telehealth technologies allow a clinician to monitor and measure patient health data and information over geographical, social, and cultural distances, according to the Nepalese Telemedicine Association. These video and non-video technologies are also used to collect and transmit health information about patients. Patients with diseases like congestive heart failure, diabetes, and other chronic and acute illnesses can use telehealth technologies to monitor their vital signs. Telehealth systems are widely used in hospitals and homes across the country, especially for preventive medicine. The better it is for the patient if information can be gathered and transferred to the appropriate professional as quickly as possible. Studies have shown that patients who receive continuous care via telehealth monitoring have fewer emergency room visits and rescue calls, resulting in better health outcomes. Medication compliance has improved, patient isolation has decreased, and access to immediate care and services has improved.
Limited high-speed internet access in some geographic areas makes telehealth applications, particularly real-time interactive video, difficult to deliver. Because interactive video requires a lot of bandwidth, patients in rural areas prefer to use phone or email applications instead. Another disadvantage is that insurance reimbursement is not available. Private insurance companies provide very little support for telehealth technologies, despite the fact that Medicare has a few reimbursement models. Due to the novelty of this service delivery medium, the liabilities of intervention have yet to be fully understood. The cost of the technology is one of the biggest roadblocks to widespread telehealth adoption. Large videoconferencing rooms can cost up to 200,000 dollars. Overall costs will decrease over time as technology components become cheaper and better.
Although the majority of telehealth applications are focused on the elderly, other areas are being investigated. Non-medical and medical professionals treat and monitor children with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities in the comfort of their own homes. Parents and children can have therapy sessions with their professional over the internet using interactive video. It's critical to understand that this advanced interactive video differs from standard web chat hardware and software. Dynamic remote controls, pan-tilt-zoom camera capabilities, public and private audio modes, advanced video and audio clarity controls, and secure data encryption are all included in advanced interactive video. As a result, remote therapeutic improvements will be more difficult to obtain without these features.
