Video conferencing has proven beneficial in many areas, healthcare included. Let’s discuss some of the most important advantages of video conferencing in healthcare and why healthcare professionals worldwide should strive to implement telemedicine on a day-to-day basis.

Transforming Healthcare Through Video Conferencing

Doctors diagnose and treat much faster

Video conferencing allows doctors to see more patients much faster. Neither patients nor doctors need to worry about conflicting schedules since video conferencing enables them to have an appointment wherever and whenever they want.

Moreover, patients are more likely to show up to their online appointments, even if something unexpected happened on that day. Thus, hospitals do not lose money, and doctors do not waste time waiting for patients that will never come.

There is no need to spend time on traveling

Time is precious, especially when emergency strikes. Sometimes there is simply no time to lose, and professional help is needed at this very moment.

Instead of wasting time traveling to a clinic, it can be much more practical for the patient to connect to their doctor via a video conference.

The doctor can instruct the patient what to do while the emergency vehicle is on the way.

Video conferences are much more effective than calls in such situations since they allow the doctor to see the patient and clearly understand what they are doing. Sometimes doctors may even demonstrate the required actions, which is often more helpful than simply hearing the instructions over the phone.

A time factor is crucial for doctors since they may sometimes encounter an urgent case where they have to act fast despite the lack of expertise.

If there is no time to wait for an expert, they can call the said expert and follow their instructions via a video conference. This practice, although not ideal, can save lives.

The time factor is a significant concern, especially in rural areas where finding reliable doctors and hospitals can be challenging. It’s also a big issue in major cities where traffic jams are common.

When there is no time to cover the doctor and the patient’s distance, a video conference should serve as a viable alternative.

There is no need to spend money on traveling

Healthcare is already way too expensive in some countries, and patients shouldn’t be forced to pay extra to get to a specific location.

It is important to remember that not all patients live in areas with good public transport, and some should pay for the expensive taxi service.

Some patients may refuse treatment altogether when they cannot afford to cover traveling expenses, leading to gruesome consequences.

Family can often help, but it is clear that not everybody has got one. Even if it is the case, not every patient lives close to their immediate relatives. Whether the family can get the patient to a qualified professional or not should affect their treatment quality.

It is worth noting that video conferencing benefits hospitals as well, especially when they do house calls. When paying for one medic to go to a specific patient may not seem like a big deal, such trips do add up. In the end, they become a substantial financial burden on even the most profitable hospital.

Video conferencing in healthcare allows doctors to examine and diagnose patients right from their office. They can then determine whether an in-person meeting is necessary.

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Less stress and fewer costs for the patients

Patients, particularly those battling addictions, often face stigma when visiting specialized treatment facilities. Outpatient care through video conferencing can help reduce this stigma and lower the overall stress associated with treatment.

Hospital visits can be incredibly stressful for people with disabilities, movement disorders, or mental health conditions. Video conferencing can help ease that stress by allowing some exams to be done remotely. The doctor can then decide if an in-person visit is necessary.

Patients can get monitored and treated from the comfort of their homes, surrounded by their friends and family. In addition to that, they get to avoid significant financial spending that comes with in-house hospital care.

The latter is especially relevant for patients that move to a different country, but do not yet have that country’s health coverage. In that case, they can continue their treatment by talking to their doctor from abroad via a video conference.

Moffitt Cancer Center implemented video conferencing for patient orientation, employee updating, and general examinations. Patients can also watch recordings to better understand their diagnosis and the required treatment since medical terms can be pretty confusing.

This is just one of many examples where video conferencing has been effectively integrated into the hospital routine. Since the industry is expected to grow, there will be many more in the future.

Better training and career opportunities

Before video conferencing, medical professionals had to travel to physical locations to share their knowledge and skills with colleagues. Granted, not everyone could afford to take a break from their hospital duties, so many doctors were simply left behind.

Things are different now for doctors in the 21st century. They can hop on a video call during their lunch break and get the latest medical news and updates. It’s a great way to discuss treatments, share knowledge, and stay connected within the healthcare community.

Video conferences in healthcare help build trust and improve communication between employees, as evidenced by Forbes Insights research. Trust is crucial in the healthcare industry, where people need to act as a team and face difficult decisions daily.

Medical students also benefit from video conferencing, since they no longer need to travel halfway across the country to observe rare operations. They can just connect to the special telepresence tech and watch the surgery in real-time.

Because more students can connect to a video conference than fit into an operating room, more will have this opportunity to learn and grow as medical professionals. What is more, they can watch a surgery recording later to cement their knowledge.

These changes even make it easier for doctors worldwide to succeed. Doctors with better opportunities are more motivated to excel at their jobs and keep growing their skills.

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Cleaner environment in the hospitals

Patients stuck in crowded waiting rooms often spread their illnesses to other patients and doctors. Even medical students visiting hospitals for training can unintentionally do the same.

Video conferencing has proven to be more conducive to the cleaner hospital environment and, as a result, the patients’ overall well-being.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are innumerable benefits to video conferencing in healthcare. Here are the main perks every hospital should consider:

• Doctors and patients find it easier to reconcile their schedules for video conferencing
• Patients from remote locations do not need to spend time and money on travel
• Doctors can avoid house calls and save the hospital’s time and money
• Patients are more likely to get immediate help in an emergency
• Doctors get better training from rare experts located in different parts of the world

While video conferencing will never fully replace in-person visits, it can make hospital operations much more efficient and ensure that more people receive the care they need, no matter where they live or what their financial or emotional situation is. This approach shows the growing importance of video conferencing in healthcare.

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