Telemedicine is quickly becoming an important part of care for patients with special needs, but many medical professionals don’t understand the benefits associated with the technology. There are three major benefits to telemedicine: tracking of symptoms, enabling immediate access to vital signs and vital information, and the ability to treat and monitor multiple patients at one time.
The use of electronic medical records has revolutionized the way that health care providers care for their patients. A telemedicine provider can access a patient’s medical history from the comfort of his or her desk and can see, measure, and analyze the vital signs of patients in various environments.
One of the most exciting benefits of telemedicine technology is the ability to monitor a patient’s condition remotely. It is possible to ensure that a patient’s condition is being monitored in real-time without the need to go to the location where the patient is receiving care. Telemedicine can provide providers with a wider range of resources to render when needed. There is no need to send a nurse to a room or to physically visit a patient regularly. The ability to monitor a patient’s condition remotely provides valuable medical services for a variety of conditions.
EMR and Telemetry: Another of the tools for remote patient monitoring that is becoming important in the field of healthcare is the electronic patient record or EMR. An EMR is essentially a medical record that contains detailed information about a patient’s healthcare. This includes information regarding prescriptions, vaccinations, hospital admissions, discharge summaries, laboratory values, physician communications, and more. This electronic medical record is essential for providing a comprehensive picture of a patient’s healthcare so that important decisions regarding the patient and his or her care are made.
Telemedicine and teleconsultation: Telemedicine and teleconsultation refer to the process by which healthcare professionals can communicate with a patient remotely. This communication can take place through phone, chat, or Internet-based applications. In some cases, teleconsultation may include video or audio inputs from the actual healthcare professional who is speaking to the patient. This allows the patient and the pharmacist to have an uninterrupted discussion that is vital to the well-being of the patient.
The benefits of using these tools for remote patient monitoring are numerous. Nurses can provide much-needed medical care to patients who would otherwise be unable to because of their health conditions or location. When a patient can’t be seen on-site, nurses can use EMRs, pharmacy information systems, and virtual visits to provide more personalized care for each patient. All of these tools for remote patient monitoring increase efficiency and reduce medical errors.
Using EMR systems, EMTs can also access patient charts and other pertinent information whenever they are off duty to make necessary updates. This allows pharmacists to make necessary adjustments to dosage or medication while on leave. This also reduces paperwork for both the pharmacist and the EMT. In addition, EMRs can help ensure that patients are not over or under-medicated, which is a common mistake in the healthcare area.
