| | February 20189The opportunity for telehealth in India is truly transformational, bringing with it the potential to address many of India's most critical problems in wellness and diseaseTelehealth makes it possible to leapfrog this capital intensive and expensive step--and similar to how mobile phones brought connectivity to the masses without having to build out copper networks--telehealth can provide access to healthcare without building a bricks and mortar facility. The technology required to scale telehealth to serve hundreds of millions of people is already here and only minimal capital investment is required. Since the infrastructure is cloud-based, patients can access telemedicine services from their favorite connected data device: PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, alike. We are already witnessing this same phenomenon exploding in the U.S., where virtual visits are projected to exceed physical visits by 2024. Moreover, according to RNCOS, the global telehealth market is expected to grow to $50 billion in 2020. The advantages of broad telehealth adoption are clear:Improved Access & Convenience: Patients no longer need to navigate the crowded streets of Indian cities or travel long distances from rural areas to obtain excellent care. Through video on web or mobile, patients can obtain primary or specialty care via an on-demand or scheduled appointment. Beyond the convenience of not needing to leave work, school, or even home, mature telehealth solutions offer a streamlined approach to clinical workflows. Nurses and doctors rely upon electronic intake forms, versus more anecdotal narratives, and can integrate new visit notes into the patient's EHR, while also prioritizing care delivery and looping in colleagues and specialists as needed. Physicians also benefit from the convenience of seeing patients after hours from home and avoiding the need to travel between multiple clinics; they can also bill appropriately for such service.Cost Savings: Unnecessary and often repeated trips to the emergency room or even to a primary-care provider drive significant expense. Early access to triage or care via a nurse or physician assistant over video often eliminates the need for an in-person visit. For instance, when elderly patients require medical attention off-hours, a care facility might not possess the resources needed and a transfer to the ER may be the only option available in the middle of the night. In the diabetes example, a less experienced telehealth GP can be trained to manage stable diabetic patients via video, while more advanced cases might be referred via telehealth to an endocrinologist. The patient thus sees the right doctor, the right way at the right time, promoting efficiency and cost savings. Same or Better Quality of Care & Outcomes: The technological underpinning of telehealth can go hand-in-hand with implementing protocol-driven, quality control. Telehealth technology can be used to uniformly train, manage, document and review care, including the ability to insert teleprompter-like clinical care guidelines into the workflow. With simple EMR integration, telehealth can be seamlessly embedded in physician workflows along with access to a comprehensive, uniform, patient record. Early data supports the quality benefits of telehealth. A recent study conducted by Southwest Medical Associates, a multi-specialty group located in Las Vegas, Nevada, demonstrated that virtual care is just as effective--if not more effective--as in-person care for treating patients with newly diagnosed upper respiratory tract infections. Of those seen via video, only four percent required follow up care within 14 days, compared to 26 percent for in-person visits, and patients diagnosed virtually had a 45 percent reduced chance of receiving follow-up care within two weeks. In line with the better outcomes, patient satisfaction scores were higher for virtual care (95 percent) than in-person care (84 percent).Telehealth is much more than `medical Skype'. To bring care home,
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