Role Of Online Health Consultation In Primary Patient Care
Since the first wave of COVID, people’s outlook on many aspects especially health has been drastically transformed making them extra cautious and apprehensive over health issues. Undeniably, the curve for health concerns also shows an increase over the last three years, adding up to the fear of people. Online medical consultation, a convenient and safe mode of getting immediate health assistance was a need during the COVID era but has almost become a regular practice now. In this blog, let us discuss how helpful health apps or online doctor consultations are to us.
Technology Brings Doctors Closer To Us
In the present era, advanced technology has penetrated almost everything around us, and its role in health care is inevitable. An integral part of almost every clinical procedure it can assist with initiating doctor consultations too. Who doesn’t want to get treated in the comfort of their own house? In ‘India’ the most populated country in the world, doctors and nurses are already inadequate so expecting them to be at our doorstep every time in need sounds irrational. Video consultation can be a medium to get a live personalized experience while sitting on your sofa or curling up in bed.
Identify mHealth Apps, Their Types, And Their Benefits
mHealth apps offer multiple features. Besides offering immediate access to care they may also assist in reaching other health-related targets. Broadly we can categorize them into the following types:
- Fitness apps- The most popular category used by health freaks to track day-to-day activities like the number of daily steps, sleep hours, total calorie intake, or other health parameters like heart rate, blood pressure, stress level, etc.
- Health management apps - They offer real-time monitoring of serious medical health conditions like diabetes, heart ailments, kidney infections, etc., and enable doctors to collect patient data timely and accurately.
- Medical apps- These apps/websites update trained doctors with the latest news or recent findings in the medical field.
- Hospital apps - Improve hospital workflow to deliver care to patients by employing digital tools and technology.
- Service provider apps/websites - These help patients virtually interact with licensed doctors, practitioners, and health experts to get health advice or medical aid through digital platforms.
Know the Merits of a Service Provider App Or a Health Care Website
Enlisted below are a few recognized benefits of healthcare service provider apps and websites:
All-in-one health tools – Generally these mHealth apps/ websites contain features that help you to get access to free tips on common health issues, guidelines over any disease treatment, or a facility to ask your health-related queries besides offering live consultancy on various illnesses. Online doctor consultation offers you the following benefits:
Immediate access – Foremost, quick access to treatment makes online consultation advantageous. Health concerns that are not life-threatening but require immediate attention like stomach concerns, ear/eye/throat infections, cough and cold, skin issues, migraine, etc. can be consulted in no time through teleconsultation.
Note: *In case of critical health issues like chest pain, seizures, or asthma attack, visit the hospital to seek urgent physical check-ups.
Comfort and safety- A video consultancy gives you a personalized experience from the convenience of your own home. Moreover, chances to get secondary infections while waiting in hospitals can also be avoided.
Time-saving - You can directly log into video conferencing without any hassle of dressing up or traveling to the clinic for the consultation. No need to wait in long queues in the clinic to see the doctor.
Freedom from mobility issues – If the patient is an elderly, disabled person, or a sick child who is unable to travel, one may not need to spend extra pennies on transportation and can also avoid the struggle to reach the doctor.
E-prescriptions – Accessing the e-prescriptions and following up on the treatment is super easy as all your details are digitally recorded in the app nullifying the challenges with the manual report management process.
Easy connectivity – You can share your diagnostic test reports or illness-related images in chats with your consultant for further investigation and follow-up procedures. You can also ask about your queries via call, video call, or messages 24/7, hence is no need for offline visits for minor issues.
Regularity in the treatment - A busy schedule may restrict us from clinic follow-ups and may lead us to go off the medication intermittently. Electronic reminders on renewing prescriptions or future appointments/follow-ups refrain us from being irregular.
Instant payments – Hassle-free secure payments can be made instantly by various payment modes available in the app.
So, if you are facing health issues and want to initiate medical treatment as soon as possible or need to know about the seriousness of your condition, online health apps could be a great option. Certainly, there is no replacement for physical, face-to-face doctor meetings but mHealth apps or video consultations could play as an extension of the healthcare ecosystem.
The ease to connect medical experts plus other features translates to the convenience of patients. Just ensure you are connecting to a reliable and trustworthy health app or website.
To get valued personalized medical assistance from a global network of more than 18000 certified doctors from over 80 specialties around the clock, drop your query right away at Ask a Doctor 24x7 and get medical advice, anytime – even from the comfort of your home.
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