Virtual healthcare, telemedicine, or telehealth. Regardless of the terminology, online visits are becoming popular among patients and providers. Understanding the basics and how they benefit you and your patients is crucial to providing enhanced care.

Ready to dive into the world of telehealth? Let’s get started.

What Is a Virtual Care Provider?

A virtual care provider is a doctor, nurse practitioner, or therapist who offers services online, often through video calls. Patients can schedule these appointments to match their preferences.

If that’s the case, is there truly a difference between telehealth and telemedicine? Technically speaking, yes.

Telehealth vs. Telemedicine

Although many people use telehealth and telemedicine interchangeably, they have separate meanings. Here are general definitions:

Telehealth
A broad term that covers the use of technology in healthcare, from appointments to electronic health records to education.

Telemedicine
The clinical services you provide using technology, including consultation and treatment.

Simply put, telemedicine is a subcategory of the more general term telehealth.

Benefits of Telehealth for Patients

The advantages of telehealth for patients can make care more accessible for many people. Aspects of virtual healthcare that people tend to appreciate the most include:

Specialist Availability

Many specialists or in-demand doctors have long waitlists, which can mean weeks or months before a patient can get an appointment. These providers may also be further away, which makes them inaccessible to patients without reliable transportation.

Virtual visits help ease these concerns by giving more individuals access to these specialists.

Patient Safety

Some patients are immune-compromised or live with people who are, which can make in-person appointments riskier.

With diseases like the flu and COVID-19, some people prefer the comfort of online visits to avoid contracting respiratory diseases.

Fewer Expenses

In some cases, virtual appointments are less expensive than in-person, which can help relieve some of the costs that may create a barrier to proper care. Other providers offer self-pay, making accessing affordable visits easier for the uninsured.

With that said, there are other reasons why patients might see fewer costs with online visits, including:

• Reducing the need for parents and caregivers to hire a babysitter
• Spending less money on gas, bus fare, or other transportation costs
• Eliminating work time missed during an in-person appointment

Since affordability can often be a barrier, virtual visits can alleviate some of these concerns and allow more people to get the care they need.

Accessibility

Many people lack an accessible means to receive healthcare. While we already mentioned immune-compromised individuals, other issues that can affect accessibility include:

• Mobility issues
• Lack of reliable transportation or inability to drive
• Disabilities
• Language barriers
• Chronic health conditions
• Rural living
• Gender-affirming care
• Working hours

For individuals facing these concerns, telemedicine can help them access virtual primary care from the comfort of home.

Benefits of Telehealth for Providers

Doctors and other health professionals can also benefit from virtual care services. Advantages you may see include:

Flexibility

Online appointments allow you to hold appointments outside of normal office hours. You will get paid for those appointments and have access to a larger patient network, allowing you to help more people from a wider area.

Fewer Costs

Virtual appointments can reduce the need for in-office staff, supplies, or building needs, which can be a helpful cost-saving measure. Enhanced online appointment availability can also help reduce unnecessary ER visits or the time a person spends in the hospital.

Telehealth can also reduce the number of no-shows because patients can easily access their appointments, helping you stay on target.

Continuity of Care

With telehealth, you have a patient’s electronic health record, just like in-person visits. You can also easily access information from other doctors or specialists they’ve seen and contact them directly. In some cases, you can also ask them to join an appointment with you.

You’ll have all the information you need to provide top-tier services, which helps enhance continuity of care.

Patient Engagement

While telemedicine is the actual clinical service, telehealth as a whole makes it easy to enhance patient engagement. Both you and the patient have access to:

• A secure messaging portal
• Medical records
• Appointment reminders
• Lab results

If your patients feel more involved, it may encourage them to be proactive about their health and treatment adherence.

Some people also feel more comfortable opening up at home, which may help them be more honest about their symptoms or experiences.

How to Add Telehealth to Your Repertoire

Telemedicine is a beneficial service to add to your practice. Whether this is your first time considering it or you want to know more about the latest advances, continuing medical education (CME) can help!

Learn about the latest technology, health trends, and treatments with in person and on demand courses.