This study highlights a detailed analysis of the requirements and benefits of Telemedicine in the healthcare segment in remote and rural areas. It also covers the need for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for a better telemedicine process and the actual process, applications, and drawbacks of telemedicine services. This case study will help you understand how telemedicine services are convenient for both doctors and patients emphasizing more on how the communication between a patient and doctor has changed the face of certain treatments. Telemedicine becomes an easy way to share medical data anywhere across the globe but also comes with a risk for its data security.

This study highlights a detailed analysis of the requirements and benefits of Telemedicine in the healthcare segment in remote and rural areas. It also covers the need for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for a better telemedicine process and the actual process, applications, and drawbacks of telemedicine services. This case study will help you understand how telemedicine services are convenient for both doctors and patients emphasizing more on how the communication between a patient and doctor has changed the face of certain treatments. Telemedicine becomes an easy way to share medical data anywhere across the globe but also comes with a risk for its data security.

Telemedicine is the combination of telecommunication and information technology which delivers health services at remote locations. It has a huge potential for improving access to all medical services. Telemedicine is expected to become widely acceptable, because it saves treatment cost as consultation is possible through a video call. Since last two decades, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has changed each and every aspect of the economic and social activity. ICT can offer a powerful platform which could benefit the poor people of emerging countries.

Applications of Telemedicine

• Follow-up visits: Telemedicine follow-up visits is one of the efficient ways for both patients and providers. It also reduces missed appointments and increasing patient outcomes.
• Chronic disease management at remote locations: increasing chronic diseases is one of the major challenges for health service. It is a prime candidate for the telemedicine service because of easy and cost effective benefits for their health.
• Preventive care support: Smoking cessation and weight loss are the main factors in reducing heart disease and other health conditions. Telemedicine can be helpful in connecting patients and providers.
• Store and forward: This involves capturing all medical data, diagnostic images, blood test results, to be saved and safely forward to another physician for remote patient evaluation. Telemedicine service allows high-resolution images to be captured, saved, and forward in real time, so it does not need the presence of both provider and patient.
• High quality patient care: With the help of telemedicine it becomes easier for providers to make appointments through a secure video call. They used a more extensive technology solution to monitor patients’ health and answer all medical related questions after hospital discharge. Telemedicine leads to high quality care outcomes.

Privacy and Security

In telemedicine service, patient data such as diagnostic images, blood teats results, and other health related information is transmitted from one to another. In order to maintain privacy, providers need to choose solutions which use data encryption to prevent patient data.

Case Description

Overview

Austin Urology Institute is a leading urology organization serving Texas, Austin, and surrounding areas. With a talented team of nurses, office managers, and surgical assistants it provides a number of health related services. The institute specializes in various issues such as kidney stone removal, several cancer types, and ordinary issues like vasectomies and family planning.

Earlier, telemedicine implementation was a slow procedure for Austin Urology office. So, Dr. Shaw (MD at Austin Urology Institute) targeted a number of appointment types perfect for telemedicine, and from that instance the practice began to increase growth with appointment volume and revenue. According to Dr. Shaw, “Telemedicine is a novel technique for medical and doctors. It was a slow acceptance for us.”

Challenge

Due to the huge popularity of institute in Austin there is a rapid increase in the patient flow. So, Dr. Shaw looked out for an additional place to treat patients without calling them into the office. “We required a respite valve because our office has become very busy with regards to physical visits,” Dr. Shaw states. They were searching for a better solution which could improve patient satisfaction and promote convenience.

Solution

In search of an advanced solution to help the institute keep up with several demands from patient demands without additional costs, Austin Institute has introduced its EHR technology, athenahealth, which is one of the leading American company which offers all network enabled services. It offers hi-tech seamless health solutions with third-party products. Austin Urology Institute formed Chiron Health and recognized the ease of the telemedicine software which would allow them to communicate with the patient for appointments over the secure video call. Chiron Health combines with EHRs, like Athenahealth, letting healthcares to schedule video appointments in their EHR.

Result

Once Dr. Shaw was ready to see patients over a video call with the help of Chiron Health, the very next move to find out what type of appointments was a right fit for telemedicine. After a couple of weeks the team supervised few patients and suggested the telemedicine to be used. In the beginning, such appointments were offered to the patient from remote locations. In a short period of time this practice got expanded in other areas such as San Antonio, San Marcos, and Bastrop. Patients who were living in these places required only two to four hour window in order to visit the office for treatment and get back to the home.

Conclusion

Telemedicine has a number of benefits in the healthcare segment. Several applications can be developed for the telemedicine to deliver high quality services using ICT with the help of medical science. It can be helpful to provide improved quality services in India. Telemedicine also helps in providing expert opinion to the different locations with advanced medical facilities.