For the last couple of years, virtual doctors’ visits have become increasingly popular within the medical community. With its quick evolution and ease of use, patients have also started leaning more toward virtual appointments.
In-person appointments can’t be entirely replaced; some illnesses and conditions require physical interactions with doctors. However, doctors can easily handle routine checkups and less serious ailments virtually. With advanced telehealth and telemedicine technology, doctors can transform how they meet patient needs and provide quality care.
If you’re a physician or health administrator and your office doesn’t offer virtual visits, you may want to consider the following benefits of tech-facilitated appointments:
Virtual Waiting Room
No one enjoys showing up twenty minutes early to an appointment, signing in, then sitting in a waiting room, counting down the seconds until they hear their name. While people understand delays, they still don’t want to sit in a noisy, crowded room with people coughing and sneezing left and right.
One of the most significant advantages of telehealth doctor visits is the virtual waiting room. While doctors use a wide array of telehealth platforms, most have similar formats for virtual visits. The patient logs into the app or website, checks in through an online process, then starts a call or video. They then wait for the doctor to join the call.
This way, patients never have to leave their homes to discuss their health with their doctors. Without the need to physically wait at the office, patients avoid the risks of interacting with other sick people. Instead of flipping through magazines and newspapers, virtual waiting rooms provide patients with relevant health-related online materials to educate and entertain them. Or, patients can just put their phones down until they hear their doctor’s voice.
Physicians or health office managers interested in virtual visits can check out OTTO health to learn more about virtual waiting rooms and the benefits of offering telehealth services.
Convenient for Both Doctors and Patients
Virtual doctor visits are just as convenient for doctors as they are for the patients. Many physicians find it easier to manage their time when they conduct care over call or video. Also, meeting with patients virtually eliminates the risk of doctors catching whatever sickness their patients come in to have treated.
On the patient end, virtual appointments subvert the challenges of traveling to the office, having to take time off from work, and needing to find childcare. Especially if you offer specialized care, facilitating virtual visits helps to expand patient options and access the treatment they need. Anyone worried about the cost of telehealthcare can rest assured that Medicare and many private insurance policies offer some level of coverage for virtual health services.
Automatic Record Keeping
Virtual doctor visits and telehealth features don’t just make the actual appointments easier; they also make administrative tasks and record-keeping more efficient. For example, telehealth software handles the appointment scheduling process, dramatically reducing the work of front-desk employees. Patients also tend to favor online scheduling over having to call the office.
Automatic record-keeping also makes document processing, securing, and saving much simpler. In addition to traditional documents, virtual visits generate audiovisual records that the telehealth system organizes and stores. Consultation videos make it easier for doctors to review patient history before their next visit.
One-on-one Time With Doctors
With virtual visits, care providers tend to have more one-on-one time with their patients. When the concept of virtual care emerged, many feared that this use of technology would eliminate the personal element of medical care and doctors’ ability to empathize with patients. However, now that the technology is widely used, many patients prefer it. They get to interact with their doctors, still face-to-face when using video, but in the comfortable environment of their homes.
Increased Engagement With Patients
Virtual doctor visits also tend to increase quality engagement between doctors and patients. One element that promotes better engagement is screen sharing. This technology allows doctors to talk through patient charts, images, videos, and online content. Because of online record-keeping, doctors can quickly navigate to the relevant digital documents while still listening or speaking to their patients.
Also, in some situations, patients are more comfortable discussing potentially awkward topics while on an audio call. By turning off the cameras and having an audio-only conversation, doctors can delve into sensitive issues with their shy or nervous patients.
Looking Forward
While virtual visits may not be the industry standard in 2020, studies show that the use of telehealth technology will only increase in the upcoming years. The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that video visits are a viable alternative to in-person appointments when it comes to mild sicknesses and routine checkups. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you may want to consider implementing telehealth technology at your office or clinic.
