Are you equipped to deliver the healthcare of the future? In our new blog series, we explore key areas of consideration to help you make the decisions that will improve the lives of patients and healthcare staff.
Patient convenience is becoming a top priority for healthcare providers. A recent study by NCR Health’s Market Insights reveals that 51% of consumers name convenience and access to care the most important factors in their decision-making when choosing a healthcare provider. That’s above insurance coverage, staff conduct, brand reputation, and quality of care. *
Telehealth – the use of electronic information and telecommunications technology to support long-distance clinical healthcare – is helping healthcare companies improve patient convenience. Technologies such as video conferencing and wireless communication are enabling more patient-centric services. New technology is also used to share knowledge across medical disciplines and educate staff, which further improves care for patients.
Below we look at the technologies that help enable convenient, high-quality care.
Virtual appointments
A recent report from information and analytics firm IHS reveals that the number of video consultations will reach nearly 105 million by 2022 in the U.S. *** This is hardly surprising since they benefit both patients and physicians. Virtual appointments solve care shortages in remote areas, help treat common, non-life-threatening conditions fast and conveniently, and let elderly and disabled patients with mobility issues ‘see’ a doctor from the comfort of their homes.
Video conferencing
Video conferencing technology lets healthcare providers bring remotely located medical experts together in a conference room to share knowledge and even monitor surgeries. This means a specialist in New York can give their expertise, in real-time, to a team of surgeons in a hospital in New Delhi. The quality of the patients’ treatment is no longer restricted to the experts in the room but opened to specialists the world over.
Wireless communication
Wireless communication technology gives healthcare providers the ability to maintain a constant relationship between patients and caregivers, known as Remote Patient Management (RPM). For example, a patient using digital blood pressure cuffs remotely can send their blood pressure and pulse to their doctor, eliminating an unnecessary visit to the hospital. It can also provide greater safety for patients in hospitals. RPM devices like wireless wearable sensors can track patient movement, alerting staff when someone leaves their room or suffers a fall.
Prepare for the future of Telehealth
To implement the technologies that will ensure patient convenience today, and in the future, you must invest in your physical network infrastructure. Wireless data transfer is only as reliable and fast as the infrastructure that supports it. A robust set-up provides the reliability and performance that always-on healthcare networks demand. Partner with Panduit as part of your technology investments, and together, we can select network infrastructure solutions that will help your organization fully utilize the technologies powering Telehealth.
To discover more about how ‘Generation Data’ is shaping the future of healthcare IT, download our new eBook.
*** https://cdn.ihs.com/www/pdf/0419/IHS-Markit_ATA-2019-Tradeshow-Summary.pdf
For patients, telehealth can be a convenient way to get health care. Oftentimes, people don’t have time to travel to see a doctor or go to the hospital. With telehealth, they can get the care they need without having to leave their home or spend time away from work or school.