Telehealth: An Emerging Trend in Healthcare

Healthcare has, all of a sudden, witnessed a massive integration of virtual healthcare visits, supplementing face-to-face consultations. This COVID-19-driven transformation catapulted telehealth from a niche tool into the mainstream practice of modern medicine. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration defines telehealth as using electronic information and telecommunication technologies to provide remote clinical healthcare, health-related education, administrative functions and public health initiatives. COVID-19 gave telehealth a big boost in popularity within the healthcare industry, bringing it to new heights. There was an exponential surge of over 3000% in telehealth services compared to the times before COVID-19 (Omboni, et al., 2022). Telehealth has expanded to encompass the different medical disciplines. From primary care, preventive medicine and chronic disease management to internal medicine, including disease diagnosis and ongoing care, and psychiatry in terms of psychological disorders that allow treatment remotely, telehealth’s quick development testifies to its versatile use in medicine.

The compelling advantages of telehealth include saving travel costs and patient’s time. Similarly, it helps by relieving the congestion in hospitals and clinics, especially during periods of diseases like influenza.

Apart from these, telehealth overcomes logistic difficulties such as transportation and child care problems and thus is successful for both the healthcare professionals and the patients. It also facilitates the improved monitoring and following-up of patients suffering from any chronic disease. The home-based rapid diagnostic tests, when combined with telehealth consults, can greatly minimize the need for in-person evaluations. It is estimated that the in-person evaluation for patients receiving flu diagnosis through telehealth has been reduced by 50%. 

While telehealth offers several benefits, it also poses some challenges. These include technological barriers in the use of digital devices and problems with internet connectivity, limitations to thorough physical examination and interpretation of non-verbal communication. Equity issues also make telehealth's effectiveness a bit complicated because language barriers and other systemic issues may lead to unequal distribution of care. These disparities are more likely to affect non-White populations and those of lower socioeconomic status, thus potentially compromising quality care. 

The assessment of the quality of care provided through telehealth services has been mixed. On one hand, some studies reported higher satisfaction rates because of convenience and accessibility; on the other hand, some highlighted concerns about incomplete assessments and possible barriers to effective patient-provider communication. 

However, most studies have found that unassisted physical exams performed by synchronous audio-video telemedicine result in similar outcomes to traditional physical exams. Patient perception of care quality is one of the key metrics of telehealth evaluation. Studies using national survey data, such as the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), indicate that electronic communication users report better-perceived quality of care. Telehealth, as a form of electronic communication, underscores the importance of exploring these perceptions further. 

The sustained utilization of telehealth post-COVID-19 reflects its integration into the healthcare ecosystem. However, there is still the need to address technological, equity and communication challenges for telehealth to provide high-quality, equitable care. Telehealth can redefine the future of healthcare delivery through bridging gaps and capitalizing on its strengths.