Telehealth has proved to lower the cost of healthcare when compared to face-to-face consultation. Healthcare costs can be reduced without affecting the quality of treatment provided to patients.
Telehealth innovations include online remote appointments, automation of administrative work, & ability to upload test results to evaluate by doctors.
Below we have mentioned a few ways how telehealth platforms reduce the healthcare cost:
Reduced Number of Emergency Visits
Virtual consultations, contrary to popular belief, can reduce the frequency of emergency visits.
A visit to the emergency room is significantly more expensive than a visit to the doctor’s office. If patients can get urgent treatment at home through RPM they are less likely to go for an emergency visit.
Because doctors can access patients’ medical information online, many health issues may be diagnosed over the phone. Moreover, patients can also order the medicine online without any hassle.
This method results in fewer non-urgent admissions, which frees up emergency resources for patients who truly require them.
Reduce Travel Cost
Traveling to appointments & parking at hospitals may be costly, particularly for patients who require regular care or reside in remote regions. With telehealth platforms, now patients have liberty to reduce the travel cost by conducting online consultation.
Although the number of GPs doing home visits has decreased in recent years, there are still a handful of occasions where patients are unable to access the clinic and require consultation from the comfort of their own homes.
Online consultations eliminate the need for travel, saving the NHS time and money while also providing reassurance to vulnerable patients.
Enhanced Productivity of Hospitals & Clinics
One of most essential components of telehealth is capacity of hospitals & clinics to automate administrative and other manual tasks.
The goal is not for digital health to replace people’s occupations, but rather to replace mundane chores so that non-clinical employees may devote more time to patient-facing activities.
Telehealth can assist to enhance resource management by making employees’ responsibilities more manageable. Furthermore, it allows them to excel in other elements of their professions.
According to a 2019 research, automation may save the NHS £12.5 billion in employee expenses each year, while the social care business could save £5.9 billion.
Reduce Hospital Readmission Rate
Telehealth has the potential to lower the number of persons readmitted to hospitals each year. Since, patients with certain diseases requires admission to hospitals numerous times in a short period of time. However, with advancements in telemedicine, this is no longer necessary.
Once patients get recharge they were provided with devices to monitor their blood pressure, oxygen levels, & heart rate.
With the use of automatic reminders, the patient may submit these data onto a system. Which allow doctors to monitor the results for variations and contact the patient if anything prompts worry. This enables clinicians to intervene and assist the patient before their health deteriorates to the point of requiring hospital readmission.
Provide Access To Specialist Healthcare
Employing expert doctors on a full-time contract can be costly for smaller hospitals, especially when the demand for their services does not exceed the doctors’ contractual hours. Telehealth can aid in this situation.
Medical pictures such as MRIs & CT scans, may be safely shared across hospitals, allowing professionals to work without regard to geological locations.
When doctors are limited, hospitals can hire experts for a few days per week, sparing them from employing full-time doctors.
Conclusion
So, does telehealth platforms reduce healthcare cost? It does, and it also enhances the quality, consistency, & accessibility of primary care for the individuals who need it the most. However, it may also be a cost-effective option for providers to better organize their workflow, patient management, and service volume.