0505050387
0505050387
Published on: 30th May 2022
Medically reviewed by: Medical Director at First Response Healthcare
When you’re unwell or feeling under the weather, many times going to a hospital or a clinic for a doctor’s appointment might seem like a daunting task, especially if you need to drive through heavy traffic or if you need to wait in waiting rooms for your appointment. Not to mention, if you have an infectious disease, there’s also the risk of infecting others. With telemedicine, you can avoid all of this commute and extra effort and time and can speak to a doctor right from your own home.
Telemedicine or Teleconsultation refers to the delivery of healthcare services through communication tools and technology such as telephones or laptops through video or audio calls. Through telehealth services it is possible to receive diagnosis, treatment and medication prescription for diseases and injuries from your house. The goal of telehealth is to help patients from a distance and to enhance their access to information and treatment regardless of their location.
Telemedicine can be categorized into the following categories:
- Interactive Telemedicine, wherein patients and medical professionals such as doctors and physicians interact in real time. This also includes a senior doctor helping staff at a different location with diagnosis and treatment of patients. This is known as supervised telemedicine.
- Telehealth or Remote Patient Monitoring refers to when the patient is monitored remotely by medical staff by taking the patient’s blood sugar level, blood pressure etc through mobile medical equipment.
- ‘Store and Forward’ – This refers to the practice of a doctor sharing health information of patients with other specialists and healthcare professionals located somewhere else to receive advice and inputs.
When Is Telemedicine Most Helpful?
Telemedicine is not advisable for healthcare emergencies such as a heart attack, stroke, and fracture or for severe conditions that require more detailed intervention. It is best to handle treat these conditions in person. However for illnesses, symptoms or issues that are not too severe, telemedicine can prove to be very helpful. If you have illnesses like cold and flu, insect bites, sore throats, diarrhea, or pink eye, teleconsultation can be very helpful. Through a telehealth appointment, you can get a doctor to understand your symptoms, diagnose the same and provide a prescription for necessary medicines. Psychotherapy and teledermatology are also becoming more and more popular and have become a convenient option for patients.
What Are The Benefits Of Telemedicine?
Following are 10 telemedicine benefits:
1. Easily Accessible & More Convenient
Healthcare services provided through teleconsultation are easily accessible by patients, no matter what their location and they are also more convenient. With telehealth, you no longer need to put in the time or effort required for in person appointments with a doctor. You can receive the same healthcare advice and treatment while staying in your own home.
2. More Cost Effective
Accessing telemedicine can prove to be cost effective for the patient, the healthcare provider and the health insurer. Remote diagnosis and treatment through use of communication technologies helps the patient save money spent on frequent hospital visits. Teleconsultation helps reduce the frequency of non urgent ER visits and can help save transportation costs.
3. Access To Specialists
Through telemedicine it is possible for patients living in remote or rural areas to have access to healthcare specialists more easily. Distance and commute is no longer an issue in accessing telehealth services and a patient can speak to a specialist location in any part of the world.
4. Increased Patient Engagement
When patients are disengaged, the healthcare costs are high monetarily and non monetarily for all stakeholders involved. Through teleconsultation, it is possible to ensure deeper patient engagement through care schedules and follow up appointments. Telemedicine can help the patient reach out to the doctor much easily with minimal effort and can help them keep the doctor up-to-date with the signs of recovery and treatment. Research shows that patients who avail the services of telemedicine tend to show lower scores for anxiety, depression and stress and also tend to have fewer hospital admissions.
5. Can Easily Fit Into Your Schedule
With telemedicine services, you no longer need to take a day or half a day off for the visit to your doctor. Since teleconsultations are generally on audio or video calls, you can speak to the doctor from your office, during a break, or before or after work. You can speak to your doctor at anytime from anywhere without having to take out too much time from your busy schedule.
6. No Longer Need To Worry About Childcare Or Elderly Care
Too often than not, people – especially women, put off seeing a doctor because it is hard for them to take time off from child care or elderly care responsibilities. If you’re the sole caretaker of a child or elderly person, you might have to make arrangements for someone to look after while you are away for your doctor’s appointment. All of this can be avoided with telemedicine. You can stay at home, take care of your child or elderly family member and still can make it to your doctor’s appointment through a call or video call.
7. Lowers Your Chances of Catching An Infection
There’s no denying the fact that hospitals and doctor’s clinics are the places where you’ll find the most number of sick people. Visiting a hospital or clinic increases your chances of getting an infection. Especially with the onset of the pandemic, if you are at high risk and more prone to catching an infection because of your age or other factors, telemedicine is the best, most convenient option for you.
8. Support For People With Chronic Conditions
Telemedicine can be very useful for chronically ill patients since information about symptoms, recovery or worsening health can easily be transmitted to healthcare professionals through use of technology and communication tools. Teleconsultation makes it easier to monitor and track the health of chronically ill patients and also allows for more frequent follow up sessions that take less time, effort and money.
9. Night Emergencies For Babies And Children
Babies often tend to fall sick in the middle of the night or tend to get high fever. Teleconsultation can be a very useful option in such situations when you need urgent advice or diagnosis for your child. Through telemedicine, parents can get in touch with doctors quickly and can get a prescription if required.
10. Improved Health
When all the obstacles and issues related to visiting a doctor are out of the way, it is possible for you to meet your doctor as and when required without any delayed or ignored visits. This can help improve your lifestyle, your medication management and can help you better cope with any chronic conditions that you might have.
Telehealth offers both convenience and cost effectiveness and it is becoming a reliable and popular choice for patients in today’s times. Accessing telemedicine can have a positive impact on your health and can keep you away from a lot of stress and distress related to your own health or your family member’s.
Teleconsultation In Dubai | First Response Healthcare
FRH is one of the best home healthcare companies in Dubai that offers a range of medical services including the service of Telemedicine. We are a JCI accredited healthcare company that has received the Gold Seal of Approval by Joint Commission International Standards for Home Healthcare for maintaining high quality standards in our services. FRH comprises a team of doctors who are highly qualified, experienced and DHA-licensed. Through their telemedicine service, you can schedule an appointment with a doctor at any time that’s convenient to you. Their services are available all days of the week, even on weekends and public holidays. Our team of doctors can provide you with diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of conditions right from fever, cold, migraines and allergic reactions to respiratory conditions, chronic diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, skin problems among several others. You can speak to a doctor on an audio call or video call from the comfort of your home.
Why Choose FRH For Teleconsultation in Dubai
- Flexible Appointments – We adapt to your schedule and you can book an appointment with us 24*7, even on weekends and public holidays.
- Customized Services – Our doctors will offer a treatment plan based on your needs and requirements.
- One-on-One Attention – We take the time to understand your needs and make sure that we offer a treatment plan that works best for your child.
- We always keep you in loop – We make sure to keep you updated with Regular Progress Reports of your child and keep you informed about how we are progressing with the treatment.
- Experienced & Licensed Doctors – Our team of doctors is internationally trained and has several years of experience. All doctors are DHA licensed and are equipped to offer you the best treatment.
To avail telemedicine services in Dubai, all you need to do is call on 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC. You can also book an appointment online by visiting our website.
