As with so much else in the digital age, our wearable fitness trackers already have the capability to transmit hundreds of thousands of bytes of data—from how we’re sleeping and how many steps we’re walking to our heart rates while we’re doing one or the other!
This constant source of information via bits and bytes, as well as the prevalence of telecommunication technology and channels, is now merging into an industry called Telehealth. It’s the next logical step in a healthcare evolution that’s moving beyond traditional offices and clinics and into people’s homes.
Telehealth is more than just wearable fitness trackers. In fact, those fitness trackers aren’t necessary to a good telehealth program. So, don’t worry if you’re one of those people who doesn’t like counting steps. Telehealth is still for you.
In fact, PtEverywhere just launched the Telehealth feature of our Physical Therapy Practice management software, and here’s why we think it’s important for your clinic and your patients.
According to a recent study by Research and Markets, the U.S. telehealth market is expected to grow by 27% over the next six years. That’s significant. But what does it mean?
Telehealth utilizes technology to enable remote patient and clinician contact, including care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admissions. There’s also opportunity for distance-learning meetings and presentations.
Telehealth could include clinicians discussing a case over video conference; a robotic surgery occurring through remote access; physical therapy done via digital monitoring and home monitoring through continuous sending of patient health data; client to practitioner online conference; or even videophone conversations during a consult or follow-up appointment.
By its very nature, telehealth is a patient-centric, outcomes-based model because patients and providers can connect much more efficiently, conveniently and economically. Removing the stress of office visits also helps patients relax and can encourage them to be more invested in their own health.
That’s why PtEverywhere is so proud of our Telehealth feature. We pride ourselves on our commitment to patient-centric care that puts outcomes before insurance fees.
Our Telehealth sessions utilize technology to help you maximize your clinic time and put your patients’ progress at the center of your practice. Now you can connect with your patients in a secure, HIPAA-compliant environment, as well as share files, scans, videos, and more.
Try it, and you’ll see that our Telehealth feature is just one more piece of a very important puzzle that’s helping to put patient care back in healthcare.