The Benefits of Being a Telemedicine Doc
Medical practices around the country are beginning to hear about the telemedicine craze and
wondering: How could this help me? What is so great about telemedicine that my practice
needs to overhaul years of conventional practice to adapt to this new trend?
The impact telemedicine has had on practices across the country speaks for itself. As telepsychiatry
provider Laurie Mandel says: “Telemedicine is amazing. It makes life so much easier
as a provider.” This idea of an “easy” practice is the light at the end of the telemedicine tunnel,
and why so many providers now turn to telemedicine as an alternative to the conventional
practice. Patients and providers are rejoicing as they reap the rewards of telemedicine, including
improved access to care, increased patient engagement, and reduced wait and visit times.
Below is a review of just some of the benefits the SimpleVisit team has observed from providers
and patients who are enjoying the perks of telemedicine.
When looking at offering a telemedicine solution, perhaps the biggest perk that stands out is the
potential increased access and flexibility it adds to the care experience. Conventional care
requires a provider and patient be in the same place at the same time. Due to physician
shortages and specialist shortages in select geographic areas, asking for the provider and
patient to be in the same place is often an unrealistic request. By offering video visits, providers
can avoid long and unproductive phone calls with patients and instead see them despite
geographic limitations. Whether it is going to college or a move across the state, there is no
reason patients should be forced to leave their primary care provider just because they are no
longer within a reasonable driving distance.
This flexibility is not just a benefit for patients. Providers have reported savings on office
overhead and increased time with family as a massive benefit of being able to see patients
outside the office. The flexibility of running a virtual practice helps physicians participate in the
trend of working from home that many of their colleagues have enjoyed for years. With the
recent increased rate of physician burnout, this improved work flexibility might be the perfect
cure for those providers looking to spend less time at the office working.
One of the most surprising benefits of telemedicine is the increased engagement it adds to the
care experience. Many providers fear technology will create a disconnect with their patients,
when in actuality the opposite occurs. Think of it this way: patients currently have to miss work,
drive into the care facility, and wait for an unknown amount of time before finally seeing a
provider who may spend more time looking at his laptop than actually engaging with the patient
in the conventional care model.
The patient experience with a telemedicine provider, on the other hand, removes much of the
unwanted barriers to care, allowing the experience to be simplified by technology. Patients often
rate their telemedicine experiences higher than the conventional alternative as they feel
empowered to see the provider on their time, in addition to when and where they want. They are
also typically given access to an online queue and forms so they can expedite and avoid the
dreadful waiting room process. This matters for providers because improved patient satisfaction
means better patient retention.
The benefits of flexible visits are not limited to the patient. Providers using telemedicine will feel
less rushed as video technology helps to manage the flow of patients and reduced the amount
of missed appointments and delays.
This leads us to our final perk: the efficiency telemedicine helps generate in a practice. Patients
are much less likely to miss a telemedicine visit because of the aforementioned flexibility of the
visit. Allowing patients to see their doctor on their smartphone or laptop leads to a reduction of
missed appointments and late arrivals, as patients need to allot less time to getting in front of
their provider. This reduction in missed appointments and delays help to keep doctors on
schedule so they will have more time with patients. It has also been noted the average length of
a video visit is shorter when compared to its in-office equivalent. Whether this is due to the
technological innovation or the nature of video visits is still unknown, but the increased patient
satisfaction combined with decrease visit time is certainly a win-win for providers utilizing
telemedicine.
The potential benefits of telemedicine are vast. The ability for technology to connect patients
and make the lives of physicians easier is why many providers now consider telemedicine for
their practice, so reduce wait times and see more satisfied patients today by hopping on the
telemedicine bandwagon.
