Telemedicine: The Facts and Figures About Virtual Healthcare in Canada

With the advent of COVID 19, telehealth is becoming more commonplace in Canada and the U.S., which is beneficial for both workers and employers. Because of the virtual telemedicine boom, you may see less absenteeism and lower group benefit rates at your business.

The tremendous scalability and up-gradation of virtual healthcare tools, infrastructure, technology, and applications are now a rising tide of opportunities for people looking to exploit emerging prospects in the industry. In this article, we'll learn more about Canadian virtual healthcare services, including their operation, the standard of service, and how they could influence people.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth, in simpler terms, implies the diagnosis and treatment of patients remotely. Telecommunications technology, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers, allows medical practitioners to serve patients through online walk in clinic in Vancouver, Surrey, and Richmond, etc. serving the entire British Columbia.

To utilize these services, the patient does not need to visit a hospital or doctor's clinic for a physical examination. Healthcare providers can also use the service to track their patients' well-being via virtual testing or devices that track vital signs.

Telemedicine services and virtual care are two terms that describe the same thing: telehealth. Even though it isn't suitable for emergency conditions, patients who require non-emergency medical care but cannot access a walk-in clinic, hospital, or doctor's office may find it quite convenient.

How Does Telemedicine for Patients Work?

Generally, the telemedicine practices follow the below-mentioned procedure:

1. When the patients sign up for telehealth, they are asked a series of questions regarding their medical history and general health.
2. The patient then interacts with a health expert through virtual consultation, such as a psychiatrist, therapist, or physician, who could diagnose the patient's medical issues and offer medical advice.
3. After the session, the health care provider will provide the patient with a treatment regimen that includes prescriptions, lab testing, or referrals to a specialist for further treatment.
4. A week following the initial virtual appointment and diagnosis, the patient receives a follow-up message, call, or email from the healthcare professional.

Patients with numerous health conditions could benefit from telemedicine services. Health issues such as respiratory disorders, mental illness, muscle & joint pain, STDs, nutrition, urinary tract infections, and skin ailments, to name a few, could be treated and diagnosed by medical experts online.

What's Driving the Boom in the Adoption of Virtual Healthcare Services?

Nevertheless, its flaws and inadequacies, telemedicine in Canada and U.S. is readily accessible in many contexts and continuously earning the confidence and trust of citizens. There is no hesitation in believing that The COVID-19 pandemic is the most prominent cause for the recent increase in virtual healthcare. 

The countrywide lockdowns imposed due to the tremendous widespread of the coronavirus almost made it impossible to access the doctor's clinic, office, and hospitals. Thus, people began to pay closer attention to telehealth. As more and more efforts are being made towards strengthening the digital health infrastructure, it could well depict that telemedicine services aren't going anywhere for a long time.

Benefits of Utilizing Telehealth Services in Canada and the U.S.

Telehealth is essential as it gives people access to health specialists on-demand and allows them to receive the medical support they need to improve their health without any location constraints. It leaves a positive mark on a nation's healthcare support system. 

Whether it's through referrals to other specialists or via medications and other treatments, people from all around the country could get the medical consultation they need from certified doctors without ever leaving their homes.

Here are just a few advantages of online healthcare:

• Reduced waiting time.
• A significant amount of time and money saved by cutting down on travel.
• Enhanced chronic disease management.
• Face-to-face encounters reduce health-related anxiety and discomfort due to medical history disclosures.
• Lowered medical expenses.
• Improved access to healthcare resources, such as information, advice, and treatment plans. 

How are Telemedicine and Virtual Care Distinct?

Telemedicine is the practice of treating a variety of medical disorders without actually seeing the patient. On the other hand, virtual care is a comprehensive word that refers to any method through which healthcare practitioners and providers communicate and interact with their patients remotely.

Telemedicine services are leveraged to treat common ailments, diagnose chronic conditions, or deliver professional advice. Whereas virtual care encompasses tasks such as tracking vital wearable indicators online or following up after a consultation. Long story short, healthcare services delivery over a long-distance is called telemedicine, whereas virtual care refers to a broad range of digital healthcare services.

Conclusion

Even though telemedicine has come a long way, it is still in the advancing stage today. To improve and expand coverage to telehealth services, the governments are working to identify and overcome the associated limitations. In light of evolving economic factors, healthcare players increasingly push for digitized healthcare systems and see sustainable success as automation, and digital health adoption standards improve.