Telemedicine: What Slows Down the Healthcare of the Future

Telehealth services, or remote healthcare, have revolutionised medicine. The terrible pandemic hastened the expansion of an already rapidly growing industry. The telehealth business is expected to grow from $3 billion to $250 billion as a result of increased investment in virtual care and new legislative rules that enhance the possibilities of distant healthcare.
However, several obstacles stand in the way of telemedicine's success. The obstacles of telemedicine are examined in this essay, as well as solutions to present problems.

Main Challenges Facing Telemedicine Today

Not only did the pandemic hasten the adoption of telemedicine, but it also made distant health services a necessity. According to a 2020 McKinsey study, nearly half of patients choose telemedicine over cancelled medical sessions.
Those who were apprehensive to use telemedicine were able to do so with Pandemic. There are still numerous obstacles to overcome.

Misdiagnoses
From 2014 to 2018, 66 percent of telemedicine malpractice claims were linked to misdiagnosis, according to CRICO's nationwide CBS Database. Misdiagnosis is unquestionably a severe problem that hampers recovery and can even impair a patient's health.
Patients' health and the expense of healthcare services are both impacted by high rates of misdiagnosis. Because of the incorrect diagnosis, more money is spent on pharmaceuticals and changing the ineffective, potentially dangerous treatment.
Telemedicine, on the other hand, is a part of healthcare and is not immune to general difficulties. Remote medical inspections have other drawbacks than misdiagnoses.

Parity and Compensation

Telemedicine, from a legal standpoint, has two major problems. They are concerned with the payment parity and coverage parity laws.
Both the federal and state governments have power over payment and coverage parity rules. The payment parity law mandates that both in-person and remote telemedicine medical services be compensated equally. Telehealth must be covered under the coverage parity law.
On the one hand, the situation regarding coverage parity has vastly improved. In the year 2021, 43 states will have established service parity (which is also called coverage parity). In comparison to 2019, when only about a half-dozen states attained coverage parity, these figures appear optimistic.
On the other hand, the situation is a little different when it comes to payment parity. Only 14 states have adopted payment parity by 2021, assuring equal reimbursement for telemedicine and in-person medical consultations.
Because of the legal uncertainties, financial investment is risky, and healthcare providers aren't interested in telehealth.

New Technology and Senior Patients
Even in the twenty-first century, when everything appears to be digital, not everyone has access to fundamental technologies. One of these categories is the elderly. According to a study conducted in 2021, 25% of seniors aged 65 and up never use the internet. Furthermore, 7% of Americans still have no access to the internet.
Even those elderly who have access to the internet have difficulty using it. To begin with, many people lack basic internet abilities such as registering an account or using a web camera. Second, video chatting is problematic for persons with hearing and vision impairments.
Recognizing these difficulties is critical for developing customised solutions and unique UX/UI designs.
Overall, according to healthcare practitioners, two major impediments to telehealth are a lack of digital skills and access to technologies.

Reluctance to experiment with new technologies

The patient isn't the only one who can't try out the benefits of telemedicine. To begin with, many healthcare professionals are sceptical of technology and the digitalization of medicine. Despite numerous studies and analyses demonstrating that paper documentation is unsuccessful in many operations, such as timely payment collection, providers continue to use the traditional methods, which require no additional expenditure. Apart from the incapacity to use the technologies, many people (both patients and professionals) prefer in-person consultations to telehealth alternatives.
Second, even if the global pandemic gave providers no choice but to try out remote medical services, many do not have the resources to do so. Many vendors, like certain patients, lack the necessary integration tools and efficient software. For example, due to a lack of technical support, nearly 60% of medical practitioners are unable to combine telehealth software and EHR.
Despite the trust challenges and technological obstacles associated with telehealth software installation, the situation is improving. By 2020, about 85% of patients were likely to choose healthcare providers who provided telehealth services.

Cybersecurity

With the widespread digitization of personal data comes the issue of data security. Since 2017, the healthcare business has ranked first in reported data breaches, according to the 2021 survey.
Medical records contain sensitive and personal information. Regrettably, this makes them a desirable target for cybercriminals.
Data breaches are becoming more common as new technologies emerge, such as telemedicine and video conferencing.
As a result, telemedicine integration necessitates the development of new security technologies, encryption methods, and data interoperability platforms. It requires medical providers to make significant security investments. Additional costs, notably those in the security sector, are seen as a major roadblock to telehealth deployment.

Telemedicine and the Privacy Rule

The HIPAA Privacy Rule is always brought up in discussions about medical data security. HIPAA standards are designed to protect one's privacy and sensitive personal data, therefore infractions have serious and costly ramifications. For example, a violation of the Privacy Rule can result in a fine of up to $1.5 million per year, and some violations are deemed criminal charges.
During the pandemic, HIPAA eased telemedicine regulations by eliminating penalties for certain types of video and audio communication. These exemptions, however, are only temporary. A significant portion of the current legislation needs be modified to create a sustainable long-term investment climate for telemedicine.

Telemedicine's Specific Challenges

The obstacles to telemedicine deployment differ depending on the area and parties involved. Here are some instances of issues that particular telemedicine sectors encounter.

1. The countryside. Unfortunately, there is still a divide between urban and rural medical treatment. The field of telemedicine is no exception. Data digitalization and general scepticism of technology-assisted care are particularly pressing concerns in rural areas.

2. Nursing services that are available on demand. One of the most significant hurdles for nurses in telemedicine is obtaining certification and licensure. Nursing licences are frequently state-specific, and the lack of multistate licences prevents nurses from caring for patients from multiple states. Furthermore, learning how to operate intricate software is a significant obstacle for nurses.

3. Patient contentment. The patient-side hurdles to telemedicine adoption have already been highlighted. Another intriguing contrast is that, despite nearly 75% of patients experiencing a pleasant initial telehealth experience, they are nevertheless hesitant to switch from “traditional” care to telemedicine. The main obstacles slowing down the introduction of telemedicine are a lack of computer literacy, sophisticated features, and scepticism.

Telemedicine Solutions Currently in Use

Overcoming the major roadblocks will need time, money, and collaboration. Nonetheless, as the article shows, we are progressing in the right direction. Here are the top telemedicine integration options that can help you overcome the barriers we outlined in this article.

1. Collaboration with the government. Multistate licencing, payment parity, and the expansion of telehealth services all require collaboration between the federal and state governments.

2. Software that works. Providers of healthcare should invest in software that can be used by doctors, nurses, and patients. As a result, a team of programmers with specific experience in the healthcare industry and a thorough understanding of the subtleties of medical services on both sides must be enlisted.

3. Legal conformity with software. Legal issues are significant roadblocks to telemedicine integration on numerous levels. Software must be adapted to HIPAA rules in addition to being user-friendly.

4. Employee education. Any new process or piece of equipment necessitates education. Telemedicine is the same way. Healthcare providers should create interesting telemedicine software training. This strategy can address the difficulty to use new technologies as well as reduce distrust in new digital ways. Medical professionals that are familiar with telehealth software have new tools with which to provide medical care. Patients can also be certain that remote consultations are just as successful as in-person consultations.

Identifying sectors is number five. While remote healthcare provides unlimited options, many services can only be delivered in person, so knowing when to use remote consultation and when to visit the hospital is critical.

So, what's next?

Telehealth is radically changing the U.S. medical system by removing barriers between patients and medical experts. During the pandemic, telemedicine proved its worth and demonstrated its enormous potential. However, in order to effectively integrate, the telemedicine business must first determine what is holding it back and then apply relevant solutions.