Access of health care in rural areas has always been a problem. In rural areas, people face difficulties in accessing basic health care facilities due to multiple reasons, let it be travel distance to hospital, scarcity of specialists or lack of local resources, these barriers have made timely and effective medical care difficult.
A study conducted by Rural Health Research Center found out that thirty percent of the rural population lives within thirty miles of the nearest hospital and this result to further delays in treatment and preventive care. Furthermore, the lack of healthcare personnel also leads to insufficient care and deleterious health status in those regions.
Telehealth, specifically telemedicine, offers an effective solution by providing technology-enabled care to patients who are unable to access traditional healthcare services.
Telemedicine Role in Eliminating the Barriers:
Telemedicine offers a viable strategy to overcome these obstacles by providing remote access to healthcare services. By leveraging digital platforms, telemedicine facilitates virtual consultations, remote monitoring, and telehealth services, making healthcare more accessible to rural populations.
Increased Access to Specialist:
The patients in the rural areas spend weeks or even a month in order to get an appointment from a specialist or they have to cover long distances to clinical centers. Telemedicine removes this geographical barrier through consultation with a specialist through use of online technology which enables patients to receive medical attention with ease without having to travel or wait for long.
Reduced Travel Burden:
Telemedicine reduces the extent to which patients need to go seek for healthcare services from far-off facilities. This not only reduces transportation costs but also cuts on time and inconvenience in long distances travel.
Improved Continuity to Care:
Continuity of care is important in healthcare especially in the rural setting, where patients may have to wait long periods of time to receive follow-up care. Telemedicine helps patients to be in touch with their healthcare providers as often as needed. With regular virtual check-ups the minor issues can be prevented from escalating into more severe problems, improving patient outcomes and reducing hospital readmissions.
Addressing the Mental Health Crisis:
Unfortunately, many rural areas suffer from inadequate mental health service provision. Stigma of seeking a psychiatric assistance can be a major concern since people in small towns have little privacy. Telemedicine has made health care services especially mental health, more convenient; and personal; people are now able to access counseling, therapy and even psychiatric facilities within the comfort of their homes.
Improved Chronic Disease Management:
Telemedicine platforms are useful in constant monitoring and follow up of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Telemonitoring solutions enable healthcare professionals to get real data on patient status and address exacerbation before further worsening of symptoms and signs.
Doctor Mobile App by Health Cluster:
Telehealth doctor mobile application of Health Cluster offers medical and health care services through video calls, phone calls, and secured messages. It allows you to assess, determine, manage and follow patients without face-to-face interactions. These medical services include consultation; follow up appointment, medication management, mental health and well-being. It also guarantees the effective use of the patient health record and electronic patient record, which contain important health information and are easy to manage due to the platform.
Moreover, our services provide dental EMR systems to record the patient’s basic information for a centralized repository of critical health information. It also allows patients to access their own medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate with providers. While also allowing different healthcare professionals to access and update EMR records to ensure coordinated team plans.
Additionally, through our doctor mobile app the physicians can electronically order laboratory tests, imaging studies, medications, and other treatments directly through the EMR system. Our goal is to provide effective care while empowering health and wellness the patients through our technology contributing to informed healthcare decisions and collaborative care coordination.
CONCLUSION:
Telemedicine is not just an option; it’s a necessity especially for millions of patients in rural areas. It is transforming the way healthcare is delivered and is helping to create a healthier, more connected world. Being one of the pioneers of telehealth implementation, Health Cluster is delighted to facilitate this shift, providing innovative products and knowledge to develop telemedicine services. As an organization, our mission is to serve and enhance health care provision to rural populations so that every individual gets the attention he/she deserves.
