It’s no secret that technology plays a part in the evolution of industry. One such example, of course, is healthcare. Go to any hospital or doctor’s surgery and you’ll see technology everywhere. From the computers at reception desks to MRI machines and blood pressure monitors. It’s hard to escape from the clutches of technology in the healthcare industry.

During the past few years, many technological advances have got made in healthcare. Doctors working in remote corners of the world use mobile devices to treat patients. And those with mobility problems can have Internet-based consultations with doctors.

That brings me to the topic of today’s blog post: telemedicine. It’s likely you may have heard the phrase before. But just how beneficial is telemedicine, and why should the healthcare community embrace it?

What is telemedicine?

In case you aren’t familiar with the term, let me explain. It refers to the transmission of medical data via electronics means. The purpose of using telemedicine is to help improve a patient’s clinical health.

Some of you may have encountered telemedicine software in the past. But, did you know that is not a recent innovation? In fact, telemedicine has been around in various forms for over 40 years!

In today’s modern world, telemedicine software gets used the most. It is available for conventional computers like desktops and laptops, as you might expect. And one can even embrace mobile telemedicine technology too. That means it’s possible to use smartphones and tablets to serve the same purpose.

Why should the healthcare industry embrace telemedicine?

There are plenty of reasons to make better use of this exciting healthcare technology. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is accessibility.

Many people around the world do not have healthcare resources available to them. At least, not on a local level. There may be doctors out on the field. But without teams of specialists, how can those doctors diagnose certain medical conditions?

Telemedicine allows those doctors to have a video link to other healthcare professionals. Vital statistics about patients can also get transmitted by electronics means. Such technology makes it possible for patients in remote areas to get the help they need.

Another benefit of this remote technology is remote patient monitoring. It allows doctors and consultants to receive up-to-date patient data. All that, of course, without the need to see them in person. Monitoring equipment can send live data to medical staff via an Internet link.

Cost savings

There is another reason telemedicine makes sense in the healthcare industry: it saves money. Think about how many staff are needed right now to handle various tasks in a hospital or doctor’s office.

One can decrease such overheads by investing in this technology. It’s also a timesaver for patients too, as they don’t need to make special trips to see their doctors often.

Telemedicine can get adopted through various means. They can be point-to-point connects that I mentioned a moment ago. It’s also possible to set up links to monitoring centers. The possibilities are endless!