Artificial intelligence, 5G, and the Internet of Everything are changing our medical behavior. Under the catalysis of COVID-19, telehealth is accelerating its maturity. The so-called telehealth is not only remote video visits but also includes remote medical technology such as telehealth monitoring.
What Is Telehealth?
"Telehealth" can be real-time images for two-way communication between doctors and patients. The patient is at home, talking to the doctor through the computer or mobile screen, which is convenient for the patient, saves time and effort, and can avoid the risk of infection when going out.
In addition, communication software can also be used to communicate the condition of the disease and to transmit images and examination reports. The doctor will reply after reading it, which is also a manifestation of telehealth. This is already a common way for many medical circles, doctors, and even relatives and friends to consult or discuss their conditions.
Challenges of instant telehealth
Although instant telehealth is convenient for patients and their families, it is a challenge for hospitals. The following items need to be considered and overcome:
- Equipment and training: equipment, staffing, and training, as well as the degree of cooperation and acceptance of medical staff, may increase the time required for consultation.
- Software and hardware: assist patients to use the software and hardware of telehealth, especially for the elderly who are not familiar with using computers or smartphones.
- Privacy and security: the privacy of medical records, image transmission, medication prescriptions, and other data, as well as related network security.
- Health insurance declaration of medical expenses: When distance and transportation are no longer important considerations for patients to choose a hospital, physicians, patients, and medical systems, as well as medical visits and health insurance systems will all face challenges.
What Is the Embodiment and Application of Telehealth in Daily Life?
With the progress of the times, it continues to expand, including remote health care, such as various clinical medical applications, the dissemination of health and education information, simple registration systems, and medication procedures, and other remote medical applications.
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Remote online consultation:
Under the severe epidemic, to reduce the chance of people going to the hospital in person, relevant laws and regulations have begun to be loosened. More and more medical institutions provide video diagnosis and treatment services, giving the people better convenience. In the past, to reduce the possibility of medical disputes, laws and regulations stipulated that telehealth could only be used for consultation. There must be a physician at the patient's location and the other end of the teleportation. Telehealth cannot directly face the patient. After the epidemic heated up, to reduce the movement of patients across counties and cities, or to reduce the need go to the hospital in person, regulations are adjusted to make the application of video consultation more popular.
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Appointment registration:
In addition to video consultation, telehealth also includes functions such as online appointment registration, online simple query, and even manufacturers have established medical networking platforms created by high-tech personnel for medical personnel, AI, and large numbers analysis, and use AI to assist the analysis of medical data. It not only saves time but also reduces the risk of infection when consulting service personnel and doctors in hospitals.
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Take the medicine:
Going to the hospital to collect medicine will also increase the risk of infection. To cope with the epidemic, the governments of some countries, such as the United States and Japan, have loosened the standards for the exchange of medical information. Taiwan also allows people with continuous prescriptions for chronic diseases to collect medicines from nearby community pharmacies. Or they can’t register at the original medical unit. People can also go to regional hospitals and clinics with their health insurance cards, check their medication records through the cloud, and ask the doctor to re-prescribe drugs without returning to the original medical unit.
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Blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring:
As the average life expectancy becomes longer and longer, health monitoring is becoming more and more important. The elderly need to measure blood pressure and blood sugar every day and observe changes in records. Therefore, many medical platforms collect and analyze personal data through mobile phones to remotely provide users with Health checks. The public can upload blood pressure and blood glucose values to teach through mobile apps and computers, and experts will analyze the data. If abnormalities are found, they can provide consultation and care, or notify the patient to return to the clinic for further examination.
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Rehabilitation/Long photos:
In fact, with the popularization of mobile phones and tablets, some rehabilitation exercises can be completed at home. Patients or elders in need of rehabilitation can use their mobile phones or tablets at home to follow the instructions of experts on the APP line to perform rehabilitation, saving the labor and time costs of transportation.
