Caring for patients with chronic conditions can be some of the more critical and time-consuming aspects of patient treatment. Some patients with poorly managed conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain, or mental health disorders may need constant contact. When these conditions often go hand-in-hand with mobility issues, agoraphobia, or other limiting comorbidities—getting to the doctor can be difficult.
Telehealth offers a variety of solutions to make managing chronic conditions easier, faster, and more reliable. Due to the pandemic, we've had to connect remotely more than ever before. This necessary virtual interaction has proven safe, effective, and preferable in many cases. If you've not added a virtual component to your practice, there's never been a better time.
Let's look at how telehealth can improve chronic disease management, for you and your patients.
1. Better Day-to-Day Visibility
When you have patients whose symptoms and vital signs fluctuate, or those who are starting new medications for management of their condition and haven’t quite achieved a steady baseline, seeing them in your office frequently enough to get useful treatment data would be very time consuming. Patients may not feel comfortable calling in every day to speak to someone and others may not have transportation for even the most basic follow-up appointments. This often leads to decreased communication, missed appointments, and decreasing returns on investment into health.
The ability for patients to see their providers remotely has been shown to increase compliance with treatment programs. Virtual visits are less likely to be skipped, as the commuting aspect is removed entirely. With simple to use equipment and results that are easily uploaded to your daily workflow, you are able to quickly see how your patients are responding to changes in treatment with little to no effort on your part, or on the part of your patient.
You can get a better idea of what treatment is working and what needs to change in real time. When communication is simplified, patients will know that you are checking in, even when they can’t reach you directly. Being able to remotely express concerns about their progress gets them more involved in their own care, which in turn creates better results.
2. Better Opportunities for Patient Interaction
Beyond the ability to upload real-time data about their symptoms, patients using Telehealth platforms have the opportunity to ask questions of their care team. They can request non-urgent answers to questions or can request that you schedule an appointment to quickly speak with them, address concerns, explain medications, and plan for future visits.
Better patient interaction creates better treatment plans, more cooperation between patient and care provider, and in turn, improved health outcomes. This is especially useful for chronic pain patients, whose data can help you track trends and adjust medication and treatment plans more accurately. And telehealth can help you assess whether your patient needs to be seen in the office or if they're okay at home, which saves time and travel for them.
3. More Productive Visits with Increased Patient Data
Telehealth platforms make patient intake faster and easier, with better data than traditional in-office paper forms. This is because patients can submit their data online before the visit, giving them more time to think about their responses. Additionally, ViTel's patient intake is AI-driven, helping to interpret patient data, helping you make a more accurate diagnoses.
Beyond online submission of intake paperwork, patients can add their own information between visits. When you're already aware of patient health changes, it makes your in-office visits more productive. This in turn cuts down on wasted time, patient frustration, and time between patients over the course of a day.
Improved data flow between you and your patients only serves to make their care better and more effective. Telehealth provides a system by which they can provide accurate, up-to-date information.
Consider Telehealth for the Future
If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it's that virtual medicine is here to stay and more important than ever. Being able to remotely evaluate patients has broad implications for the healthcare industry, including:
- Reduced transmission of infectious agents by cutting down on people in waiting rooms
- Less need for commutes for chronic care patients
- Better management of pain patients, including real-time adjustments of medications
- Increase patient compliance and feelings of involvement in their care
- Better, more reliable data between visits, leading to more productive in-office checkups
ViTel has created a powerful telehealth platform linking every aspect of medicine like never before. Our model can track patient data, perform administrative tasks such as billing and record-keeping, and connect patients to specialists. Reduced referral time, better patient care, and reduced stress on you are just some benefits of partnering with ViTel.
If you want more robust chronic care patient management and more free time in your day, contact ViTel. Our free demo can show you just how powerful telehealth can be moving forward, for all of your patients. With better patient management, you can ensure that everyone is taken care of with respect and due diligence.
Additionally, if you're considering expanding into a virtual practice, we've got the tools and experience to make that happen seamlessly. Contact ViTel today and get started on the path towards telehealth excellence.
