According to the World Health Organization (WHO), telemedicine is defined as “the delivery of health care services, where distance is the critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and communities.”
Dr. Dipak Nandi a professional from the health care industry for more than a decade observed “With the help of various Modern information and communication technology (ICT), the purpose of telemedicine is to provide clinical support by overcoming geographical barriers and connecting user who is not in the same physical location in order to improve the patient outcomes. In fact, telemedicine is the future of the health care industry and is here to stay for a long time “.
Though the telemedicine platform was introduced long back with the idea of helping patients especially from rural areas those who don’t have the privilege of accessing physicians, it was not much appreciated until recent years especially today due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
In fact, according to a survey done by American Well’s Telehealth index: 2019, it is said that almost 590,000 physicians will be using Telehealth services by 2020.
Providing a perfect platform that healthcare practice needs, telemedicine helps in getting the needed care for the patients. In fact, in this period of crisis like COVID- 19, it is the perfect platform that not only helps by reducing the operational expenses but also improves the ratio of patient intake. Reducing the time wasted in waiting for physicians it is a extend value-based service.
