What is Telemedicine?
Simply put, telemedicine is long-distance healthcare. It is the delivery of healthcare services in general from afar or from some remote area.
In the 1950s, telemedicine truly started. This is when the healthcare workers first started to share knowledge about various health conditions via telephone. Initially, it was usually limited to seeking expert opinions on some healthcare issues. This was because every hospital did not have medical experts and experienced healthcare workers.
Today, telemedicine has evolved into a proper healthcare system where physicians and doctors can provide their services to patients through online consultations.
How Is Telemedicine Done
Here is what you need to know about the types of telemedicine:
Interactive Medicine
In this form of telemedicine, patients interact with their doctors through some online portal in real-time. The healthcare providers set up appointments for online consultations and both parties interact online, live.
Interactive Medicine is in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) where, in addition to other components of the Act, the patient’s privacy and security are maintained as well.
Store and Forward
The patients interact with a healthcare provider company and provide the necessary information regarding their health conditions. Then, the provider organization then forwards this information to a medical expert in some other location who then provides his expert opinion.
Remote Patient Monitoring
This is for real-time monitoring from remote locations. Medical practitioners employ the use of online or mobile medical devices (remote patient monitoring) to monitor the patient’s vitals and health condition at all times.
The Setup and Protocol of Telemedicine
The basic requirement of Telemedicine consultation is to have a system that is compliant with the HIPAA protocol. Clinics or medical practitioners contain HIPAA compliant apps for video conferencing to provide primary healthcare to their patients.
Most telemedicine healthcare providers set up an elaborate virtual clinic with a proper waiting area, EHR, and billing section, and telemedicine kits.
Telemedicine is quite a unique solution to medical problems and at Health Estimates we are always enthusiastic about innovative solutions to diverse needs. Head on to healthestimates.com or call at 219 321-0009 or 708 754-5300 to get sound medical insurance that understands your diverse needs to caters to it in innovative and unique ways.
Take care of your body, your mind, and your loved ones. Stay safe and healthy!
