COVID-19 has significantly altered everything, from online shopping to increased remote working and virtual care, reshaping health scenarios unexpectedly and quickly. Virtual care has quickly become a standard part of the healthcare delivery model. Nearly 75 percent of practices said they experienced a 50 to 70 percent rise in use. In addition, clinicians and patients who completed virtual healthcare practices became "spoiled" for in-person discussions, referring to conveniences.
Short History
While telehealth existed for quite a while before the COVID-19 pandemic, it probably entered the public's line of sight during 2020's lockdowns.
Telehealth has its roots in NASA as they conceptualized to provide services to their astronauts on long-duration missions over 50 years ago. By the 1990s, this telehealth model included specialist occupational and environmental health services, such as Shipnet for seafarers. However, the focus of remote devices soon expanded to include monitoring conditions such as sleep apnea and Alzheimer's (using GPS) along with many other forms.
The adoption of telehealth in early 2000 was mainly accelerated due to high internet speed, webcams, video chats, and smartphone apps. With the arrival of COVID-19, public awareness increased, and legislation was enacted in which the federal government allowed Medicare telehealth services to be reimbursed. Another study published in 2020 in BMC Public Health determined that telehealth enhanced the delivery of healthcare services while also decreasing COVID-19 transmission, morbidity, and mortality.
Today, telehealth includes a broad list of technologies and services delivered across various mediums – via videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and landline or wireless communication. Telehealth has become synonymous with the term "virtual health visits" for most people, but it goes well beyond that. Some of the telehealth modalities include:
- Live video conferencing
A real-time audio-visual interaction between patients and practitioners.
- Remote patient monitoring (RPM)
Tracking health parameters using an internet-enabled device like a blood pressure monitor.
- Store-and-forward consultations
Asynchronous sharing of pre-recorded videos/images from patients to providers.
- Mobile health applications (M-health apps)
Offering symptom checkers, medication trackers, etc.
The Rapid Rise of Telehealth Among Seniors
Telehealth usage has been rapidly growing in healthcare systems, especially since the onset of the pandemic. During mid-2020, telehealth visits increased 38 times compared to pre-pandemic levels, showcasing the swift adoption of virtual care.
By 2021, telehealth usage among seniors rose from 11% in 2019 to 76%, indicating a significant shift in healthcare behaviours and attitudes among different age groups.
How Telehealth Benefits Seniors
The advantages of telehealth for assisted living are obvious. It transforms how seniors receive healthcare. In our digital age, it's crucial to promote telehealth use to ensure they have access to convenient, timely, personalized care.
Ease and Accessibility
Telehealth systems eliminate the need to travel great distances for the necessary medical services. This type of telemedicine can help seniors living in urban or rural areas communicate with a doctor from the comfort of their homes. It also reduces the physical strain of travelling while ensuring that medical help is always available.
On-demand Medical Care
Telehealth allows seniors to have fast access to medical attention in an emergency. A virtual consultation occurs when a patient reports symptoms and is given advice from which the healthcare provider can indicate what to do next without any clinic visit. This timely intervention can make an enormous difference in managing chronic diseases and even help prevent them from causing other medical problems.
Better Medication Management
Telehealth primary care offers an efficient and simplified way to manage medication for seniors with multiple prescriptions. Healthcare providers can use virtual consultations to review medication schedules, discuss any potential side effects accompanying a medicine, and adjust medications if needed. This proactive effort results in improved compliance with prescribed dosages.
Regular Chronic Condition Monitoring
Many seniors have special needs and underlying health conditions they must monitor closely. Telehealth access for seniors ensures healthcare providers can monitor vital signs, monitor progress, and intervene if things are going wrong. This ongoing surveillance assists in improving chronic care and decreasing the chances of hospitalization.
Provide Comprehensive Mental Health Support for Seniors
Seniors struggle with depression, isolation, and other matters related to their mental health. You can contact a mental health professional who will provide counselling and support using telehealth. Virtual behavioural health services create a comfortable and safe space for discussing feelings and emotions. This helps improve the mental well-being of seniors.
Preventative Care
Preventative care is the most essential way to prevent overall issues. This is especially true for senior health. Regular checkups, screenings, and preventative consultations can be quickly done through telehealth. Another way could be for seniors to participate in discussions about preventive measures, vaccinations, and lifestyle changes to lead a more healthy and satisfying life.
Family Involvement and Support
Telehealth also advances family involvement in seniors' healthcare journeys. Virtual appointments that involve loved ones ensure everyone is up-to-date with the senior's health status and is active in their care plan. It is an interprofessional initiative that helps enhance the support system, creating a well-rounded view of seniors' healthcare needs.
Cost Savings
Traditional healthcare can be costly, particularly for transportation—sometimes involving driving and parking automobiles, as well as from work needs. With telehealth, you aren't paying for travel, gasoline costs, parking expenses, and other associated charges. Instead of driving or getting a ride in a cab or rideshare service to the clinic and home again after treatment, that eliminates an over 2-hour chunk from your day! In addition, early intervention using virtual consultations can help avoid expensive hospital stays.
How to Get Ready for a Telehealth Appointment
Once you're accustomed to the new tech hustle and cost, here's how you can get ready:
- Get into a private space where you can speak openly and confidently
- Find somewhere well-lit so that your health professional can see your face clearly
- Turn down any background noise
- Close all other apps on your phone or computer before starting the call
- And like any other appointment, prepare by writing down symptoms or concerns ahead of time
It's also important to be patient if your provider runs late, as this can happen during an in-office visit.
The Bottom Line
Telehealth has positively changed how we practice senior healthcare and is far more efficient in reaching older adults, particularly in today's world with COVID-19 considerations. Telehealth improves overall health management by ensuring timely and personalized care, thereby improving the quality of life for seniors. Act today and embrace telehealth so that your seniors don't have to face another undeserving episode of inconvenient, untimely, repetitive care.