Telemedicine – the marriage of medicine with modern telecommunications technology – is growing in popularity all the time. The advent of the internet and the explosion in technological innovation that it heralded has changed the world in so many ways. Many areas of day-to-day life have been thoroughly transformed by communications tech. Medicine is certainly one of these areas, and in myriad ways, health care provision looks totally different today than it did a mere decade ago. These changes have really benefited patients and health care professionals by making it possible to receive and deliver extremely effective health care in more efficient ways than ever before. Here are 7 reasons telemedicine is becoming so popular.

Constantly Improving Technology

The first reason telemedicine is becoming more and more popular is because the service provided is improving all the time. Every year, technology makes huge advances and so telemedicine provision gets better, quicker, and more effective. With the advent of newer, better telemedicine apps and more cutting-edge forms of technology, telemedicine provision is going from strength to strength. People have more options now than ever before and what can be achieved using telemedicine is more impressive than ever. Due to this ever-improving service, telemedicine is continuously getting more popular.

More Choice

A big reason for telemedicine’s ever-increasing popularity with patients is the fact that it opens up a vast world of choice for them. No longer is a person limited to consulting with one of a small group of health care professionals that just happen to be located near to where they live. Using telemedicine apps, people can choose to be treated by medical professionals located in any area of the country, or the world, no matter how far away. This means that people now have a vast amount of choice in who they deal with, and this increased choice is proving very popular with patients.

More People Choosing to Live “Off the Grid”

With the advent of the internet and ever-improving telecommunications technology, an increasing number of people are choosing to escape the rat-race by moving out of big, crowded cities and working remotely from smaller towns and villages, rural areas, and even wildernesses, both at home and abroad, where they can enjoy a more relaxed and laid-back lifestyle. For this small (but ever-growing) army of digital nomads and remote workers, telemedicine is proving to be an invaluable way to receive the health care they need while living and working in a small, remote or foreign location that may not have many local health care options.

Time Savings

One of the main reasons for the increase in popularity of telemedicine is, of course, the fact that it is a huge time-saver. Consulting with a health care professional from the comfort of your own home or office using telemedicine takes far less time than traveling to a doctor’s surgery, clinic, or hospital for a traditional, face-to-face consultation. In today’s busy world, many people have very hectic schedules, so any way to save time is very valuable. With improving technology, telemedicine services are only getting quicker and quicker, so more and more people are choosing to avail of telemedicine as an excellent time-saving tool.

Money Savings

Telemedicine can be a lot cheaper than traditional medicine. With more choice comes increased competition. Due to the larger market that telemedicine opens up, competition is increased and this forces prices down. A small cabal of doctors in a small town can charge a higher price for their services, but if telemedicine is increasing competition by providing the consumer with access to medical professionals from anywhere in the country, then the price of all health care will tend to be forced down.

Avoid Doctors’ Surgeries

More and more people are happily utilizing the opportunity to avoid doctors’ surgeries. Telemedicine allows people to stay away from hospitals, clinics, and surgeries and the germs and viruses that these places often harbor. It is not uncommon to enter a hospital with one illness and pick up a new virus while being treated in the hospital. Avoiding this unpleasant possibility is very attractive to a lot of people. Telemedicine is providing people with the opportunity to stay comfortable and virus-free in their own home.

Convenient For Patients With Mobility Problems

For patients with disabilities or mobility problems, getting to a hospital or surgery can be a major inconvenience. Telemedicine is proving to be more and more popular with people in this situation, as it allows them to consult quickly and effectively with health care professionals without needing to go through the hassle of traveling to a destination that may or may not be disabled-user-friendly.

Telemedicine first became possible 20 years ago with the advent of modern internet-based communications technology. Since its inception, telemedicine has exploded in popularity and is now a vast industry that continues to grow at an ever-accelerating pace. For millions of people in the United States and around the world, being able to use telemedicine to receive medical care remotely via high-powered communications technology is a genuine godsend.

Growth in the telemedicine sector is happening exponentially, in tight lockstep with growth in technology that is fascinating, aiding, worrying, and even terrifying us in equal measures. As technology advances and becomes more spectacularly powerful, so the possibilities for developing and improving telemedicine become more and more thrilling. In a sense, we are only limited by our imaginations. So, what may the future hold for telemedicine and online consultations?

It is important to realize that this move away from face-to-face consultations and increasing dependence on modern technology, machines, and robots is certainly not something unique to the world of medicine and health care. The nature of how we communicate and work in the modern world is changing rapidly, profoundly, and permanently. While our lives become more and more convenient and our array of choices more and more boundless, many jobs are becoming obsolete. When is the last time you had your groceries scanned by a human at Walmart? Or used a traditional taxi cab company? Or waited in line at your local bank branch? Apps and machines are changing how we live in so many ways, and due to this, many people are having to rethink how they go about earning a living. Self-driving trucks are already in operation, and when they become widespread, as surely they must, many truck drivers around the world will lose their jobs. People who work in certain sectors of the health care industry will be affected by the unstoppable rise of telemedicine, but to what extent and in what ways, only time will tell.

Like in most industries, face-to-face consulting will become less necessary in health care as technology advances and grows. Telemedicine will enable more and more advanced consultations and procedures to be undertaken remotely. And while there are advantages to face-to-face consultations, overall, increasing people’s ability to consult remotely will bring huge benefits to the majority of patients. The more of a person’s health care needs that can be met using telemedicine, the more time and hassle they save, the more access people living remotely can have to the best health care, and the more choice all patients will have when deciding what type of care is best for them.

Telemedicine has many benefits for people all around the world.

As people’s attitudes towards technology change and they become increasingly comfortable with performing the majority of their advanced tasks of life online, increasing amounts of people will become willing to avail of telemedicine. The more tech-savvy the population becomes, the happier people will be to get their crucial health care needs met online. After all, it was only ten years ago that most people were very apprehensive about paying for goods online using their credit card details, and now practically everybody buys a large amount of their goods online through sites like Amazon and eBay. In the no-too-distant future, online medical consultations will be the norm. We may even soon have a generation of citizens who have never had the experience of queuing in a doctor’s waiting room!

Online consultations will continue to become quicker and more time-efficient. Time savings are a huge motivation for modern patients, and so telemedicine will continue to provide ways and means of speeding up medical consultations. Predictive algorithms will read the patient’s mind and provide answers to questions that they have not even realized they want to ask yet!

As more and more detailed info becomes transferable online, doctors will be able to do advanced consultations remotely. Patients will have apps on their smartphone that can detect their symptoms and determine their physical condition, and then relay this information instantly to their examining physician anywhere in the world.

As technology advances, so too does telemedicine.

As robots become smarter, patients will have less need to deal with flesh and blood human medical professionals at all. It is highly conceivable that most telemedicine consultations will be done with an embarrassingly intelligent (and presumably extremely personable!) robo-doctor within the next decade – this is already happening in the world of investing, where robo-advisors are giving people the best possible advice on what to do with their life savings.

These are just some of the developments the future holds for online medical consultations. Telemedicine and technology will continue to grow at an exponential rate, and while interesting predictions can be made, the future will surely be even more fantastic and exciting than anyone can currently imagine. Watch this space!

While telemedicine may feel like an uncertain trend to some people, the truth is that it is truly changing the way patients interact with their medical care. While telemedicine – that is, the combination of telecommunications technology with medical or diagnostic advice – has been around for about a hundred years, it is experiencing a massive boom thanks to the proliferation of smartphones. There are many reasons why using telemedicine is one of the best decisions you can make as a patient, but we’ve gathered some of the most important ones here.

1. Flexible Appointment Times

If you’re a busy professional, it can be really difficult to find time to see a doctor in their clinic or office. Most doctors do not offer flexible appointment times or opening hours and if you need to see someone, you might have to take time off work. Telemedicine means that you can see a doctor as and when you need to. Many operators offer flexible appointment times out of hours, so you can get the care you need without it impacting on your day-to-day routine.

2. Seeing a Doctor at Home

If you’re busy, it can be very appealing to be able to stay at home when you can. Telemedical appointments can be taken wherever you need them, with many patients opting to take them from the comfort of their own home. As well as being more convenient, telemedical appointments are far more comfortable than going to see a doctor in-person. This is especially important to people with disabilities or limited mobility, who may find it difficult to make their way to a doctor’s appointment. If you’re contagious, not going to a doctor’s office will also ensure that you don’t spread your illness further; it also means that you have less of a chance of picking up another infection if you have compromised immunity.

With the advent of smartphone technology, it’s never been easier to utilize telemedicine.

3. Easier Access to Records

It can be quite difficult to see a copy of your medical records if you are a patient at a regular doctor’s clinic. It often involves a lengthy process where you have to give written permission and the clinic will often only forward your records to a new medical professional, as opposed to letting you have them yourself. Telemedicine providers often give you a profile on their homepage, which will be home to your appointment notes, general medical profile and other relevant information. This can be accessed at any time by you whenever you need it and can be easily distributed to other medical professionals if needed.

4. Ability to See Specialists

When you see a telemedicine provider, they will often specialize in a certain branch of medicine – often one that is not commonly available in regular doctor’s clinics. If you need an emotional support animal letter, for example, there are many providers online who will be able to give you medical advice. Similarly, it’s very common for patients who need medical marijuana to access telemedical services, as online providers tend to be better versed in the treatment and less susceptible to unfair prejudices surrounding unconventional treatments.

5. Syncing with Other Service Providers

There are times where your telemedical provider will be unable to provide you with the expertise needed and will refer to you another specialist. If additional services such as blood tests or X-rays are required, your telemedical professional can easily refer you on to another expert. They are also able to integrate with other medical services such as your local pharmacy, sending your prescriptions straight to them so that they’re ready and waiting for you when you get there. The integration between telemedicine and other medical service providers means that your treatment path will be clear and uncomplicated as well as far more convenient.

Accessing medical care from the comfort of your own home is just one of the benefits of telemedicine!

6. Better Value Financially

There aren’t as many costs associated with telemedical practices as there are with traditional doctor’s offices. Their staffing and operational costs aren’t as high and they usually allow their employees to work in a freelance manner, meaning that their costs are lower. This translates to better savings for their patients and usually longer appointment times, so you’re getting far more bang for your buck. This also means that you will be able to see the doctor more frequently if needed, as financial concerns won’t be as pressing if you’re paying less per appointment.

All of this translates to easier, more convenient and flexible experiences for patients. When you’re ready to take the leap and change to telemedicine, you just need to make sure you have a smartphone and a good internet connection. Then, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy functional, flexible, and excellent health care. When you’ve made the change, anything else will seem far less practicable.

It seems completely possible that in the not-too-distant future waiting in a doctor’s office line will be an experience  that is only dimly recalled by the oldest folks in society. The advent of telemedicine means that online doctor consultations are making doctor’s office waiting lines a thing of the past.

More and more people are now living most of their lives online. And thanks to today’s super-fast broadband and mega-powerful smartphones, laptops, and tablets, people are now able to get a huge amount of their medical needs met using telemedicine systems.

Telemedicine in America has become big business, and queuing up in a doctor’s office is becoming a distant and nostalgic (sometimes they had interesting magazines!) memory for more and more people.

There is a whole host of groundbreaking telemedicine apps available now, helping people to connect with medical professionals, as well as providing things like interactive pregnancy advice and fitness and diet information. Even people’s psychological needs are now being met using telepsychiatry.

There is very little that you can’t do now online using telehealth providers. Patients can use online consultations to apply for disabled parking permits, medical marijuana prescriptions, and even emotional support animal letters.

If you have a device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you can take advantage of online doctor consultations and avoid the doctor’s office entirely!

The fact that you can now consult with a physician, speak to a psychologist or therapist, arrange prescriptions, and apply for disabled parking permits all online is a great development. Waiting in a doctor’s office line can be a major inconvenience for a number of reasons.

We have all had the experience of sitting in a doctor’s office with some minor ailment weighing on our mind and body; be it a sprained ankle, earache, chest infection, dodgy stomach, or some such medical complaint. And having a fear descend on us as our senses ring with the sights, sounds, and smells emanating from sick folk who are sharing the office with us, waiting to see the doctor. “That person looks infectious….” “That cough sounds contagious…” “That person smells like they might have something I could catch….” Often, we leave a doctor’s office sicker than we were when we entered, so rife are they contagious airborne infections! So, luckily for us all, online consultations are making doctor’s office lines a thing of the past.

But it’s not only the risks associated with imbibing a dense cocktail of germs and bugs that make queuing up in a busy doctor’s office an undesirable undertaking. There are many other reasons it is a wonderful perk of technology that online doctor consultations are making doctor’s office lines a thing of the past.

Firstly, most doctor’s offices are in urban areas; in the center of cities, towns, or villages. But for many folks who live outside of these urban settlements, perhaps deep in a rural wilderness, getting to a doctor’s office requires a lot of time and effort. Often a large distance must be traversed before a person who lives in a secluded location can even reach the nearest doctor’s office.

This issue of time and convenience also exists for many people who live in and around urban areas, relatively close to their nearest doctor’s office, but who lead especially hectic and busy lives with extra-tight schedules. Waiting in a doctor’s office line can be a major inconvenience for these people. It can cost them money, it can lose them clients, and it can cause them to miss deadlines.

Consulting with a doctor online through telemedicine saves many people valuable time.

Another reason why online doctor consultations making doctor’s office lines a thing of the past is that telemedicine technology gives the patient an infinitely broader choice of which medical professionals they can consult with. This is very useful for people who do not really trust, connect with, or “click” with any of the doctors in their local area. In today’s age of easy access to information, many patients are doing their own research and educating themselves about health care online. And this is showing them that their local physician’s knowledge can, in some instances, be quite limited – especially in areas such as nutrition and functional medicine.

For this reason, many people do not want to wait in a doctor’s office line twiddling their thumbs, only to be given some old-fashioned, out-of-date advice from their behind-the-times family doctor (who hasn’t read a new study or piece of research in decades!). For these people, using telemedicine for an online doctor consultation with a specialist who may be located very far away, but who understands the most recent literature, is invaluable.

In short, the internet has revolutionized the world of medicine. We now have numerous ways and means to get our medical needs met online. And for more and more people, doctor’s office lines are very much a thing of the past.

Smartphones have truly changed the world that we live in. You can now find a date, have your laundry picked up, and order dinner from the comfort of your sofa, but what many people don’t know is that you can even see a doctor or other medical professional through your phone in a practice called telemedicine.

Telemedicine is the combination of diagnostic or medical advice with telecommunications technology. It may seem like a relatively new phenomenon, but it has been around since the proliferation of telecommunications technology. While it has traditionally been used in specialized cases such as warzones, the emergence of smartphones means that telemedicine is being widely used by more and more people.

It’s never been easier to access health care without actually having to visit the doctor.

The truth is that traditional health care just isn’t working for average patients anymore. If you work a nine-to-five job, chances are you have to take time off work if you need to see a doctor, as most clinics do not have extended opening hours. This is completely inconvenient – but luckily, telemedicine offers a different approach. Usually, you can see a telemedical doctor at a flexible time, as they can work various hours from different locations. This means that you don’t have to interrupt your busy life to make your health care work for you.

Another inconvenience for some patients is the location of their doctor. For patients who live in cities plagued by traffic or for those who live in remote areas, it can be massively inconvenient and stressful to make your way to the doctor’s office. With telemedicine, you speak to a doctor from the location of your choice through your smartphone, so it’s a lot more convenient and comfortable. This is also a big consideration for patients with disabilities or limited mobility who are just not as comfortable traveling long distances to see a doctor.

Access to information is also a big benefit on the side of telemedicine. While it can be tricky to access your records in a traditional doctor’s office, telemedical providers make it quick and easy to be able to see your patient file. Usually, when signing up to a telemedicine provider, you will be asked to create a profile that is linked to your email address. This profile will also serve as a home for your medical information. This means that instead of going through an arduous process to access your medical records or to have them transferred to another clinic, you will be able to check up on your patient history easily and with the click of a mouse.

Technology and telemedicine have begun to transform health care as we know it.

The process of using telemedicine is very simple. Firstly, you sign up to a telemedical provider. This is usually a very simple process that takes no longer than a few minutes. Then, you will either schedule an appointment or go to a “walk-in” service. Either way, you may be asked to enter a virtual waiting room and when the doctor is ready to see you, you will be connected to them. From here, it’s very much like a traditional visit to the doctor. They will speak to you via the camera function on your smartphone and discuss why you need to see a doctor. You can use the camera to show them physical symptoms and if you’re in need of further testing, they can refer you to a specialist for blood testing, scans, or other necessary tests that you might need.

The other huge positive for patients in telemedicine is the convenience and flexibility of telemedical doctors. Most telemedical services will send your prescription straight to your pharmacy for you so you don’t have to go out of your way to pick it up. It’s as easy as walking into your nearest dispensary and picking up a prescription that’s ready and waiting. If you are being referred for further testing, all arrangements will be made ahead of time and your relevant records will be provided to your secondary medical professional ahead of time. This is on top of the convenience of being able to see a doctor from the comfort of your own home through your smartphone. Telemedicine is truly a service that centers patients by understanding their busy lives and providing an alternative to traditional health care that works for them.

It is not an exaggeration to say that telemedicine is massively empowering patients. By allowing greater flexibility and providing health care that suits patients as and when they need it, telemedicine is bridging the gap between health care and technology and allowing patients to access the best care available to them while being affordable, convenient, and secure. What’s not to love?

With advances in technology, there are more opportunities than ever to get your health care needs met with telemedicine. Instead of seeing a doctor in person, you have multiple options of consulting with your doctor, getting diagnoses, and managing your treatment all by using telemedicine. Whether you’re emailing with questions or having a video consultation with your doctor, telemedicine allows patients like you to access health care without stepping foot outside your house. Here are some guidelines to help you choose between using telemedicine and seeing a doctor in person.

Choose telemedicine if you:

Live in a rural area

Folks residing in rural areas used to miss out on getting the health care they needed if their doctor (or specialists) were too far away from their homes. However, with telemedicine, patients can access their medical professionals without having to figure out how to get to appointments. So, even if you live in a rural area, your health care needs can be met no matter how remote your residence is (or how limited the health care options are in your area).

Don’t have reliable transportation

If you don’t have access to reliable or consistent forms of transportation, getting to and from doctor’s appointments or trips to the hospital can be complicated and challenging. Instead, with telemedicine, you can contact your health care professionals even if you don’t have a way to physically get to an appointment. This is also a better option if you don’t have funds to spend on transportation or travel, since paying for public transportation can sometimes put a strain on your finances. Telemedicine can make getting health care both an easier and cheaper process for you.

Have mobility issues

Even if you have access to a handicap parking permit, it can often still be a challenge to get to the doctor’s office if you have mobility issues. Telemedicine is a great option if it’s too difficult for you to get yourself out of the house for appointments, because you can conduct all of your dealings with your medical professionals without ever having to leave your home.

There are many reasons why using telemedicine rather than in-person doctor’s visits might benefit you.

Don’t have time to make for an appointment

If you’re extremely busy and just don’t have time to make it to a doctor’s appointment, telemedicine allows you to schedule communications with your doctor only when it fits into your schedule. Plus, you don’t have to spend time traveling to the appointment or waiting in a doctor’s office. It’s also less time-consuming, because you can just email your doctors with questions or concerns instead of scheduling an in-person appointment.

Don’t have access to specific specialists or teams

Patients used to be limited to whatever specialists were in their area. But with telemedicine, you can access any specialists or health care teams that you might need for your particular treatment. That way you’re able to connect with the very best medical professionals for your specific needs – all without having to leave your home!

Can monitor your symptoms/condition remotely

If your doctor needs to be keeping a close eye on your health, telemedicine can be a great way for them to monitor you. There are devices that can be used to transfer your data directly to your doctor (like your blood glucose levels, pacemaker updates, etc.), so they can keep track of your data without you having to make constant trips into the office. Also, physicians can request that you send updates to them about your progress, which allows them to monitor your overall health even from a distance and helps them provide necessary follow-up advice.

Some conditions might require in-person doctor visits rather than solely relying on telemedicine appointments.

See a doctor in person if you:

Have a condition that needs close in-person monitoring

There are a few reasons you might want to see a doctor in person rather than connecting remotely through telemedicine. If you have a condition or diagnosis that makes it necessary for your doctor to monitor you in person, telemedicine might not be the right option for you. Sometimes there are tests or physical determinations that need to be made with an in-person office visit.

Want face-to-face contact for a better connection

If you’d like to make sure you’re forming a strong connection with your doctor, you might feel it’s necessary to see a doctor in person. This type of face-to-face contact can be essential if an element of trust is pertinent to your treatment or your overall wellbeing.

Aren’t comfortable using technology

You don’t have to be a computer expert to benefit from telemedicine. However, if you’re uncomfortable using computers or smartphones for email or video chats, you might feel more confident sticking to in-person visits.

Your insurance only covers in-person appointments

It’s a possibility that some insurance plans only cover in-person visits. While this is not common (most insurance companies can reduce costs through telemedicine measures), you should check with your insurance company to see if only in-person visits are covered under your plan before you start using telemedicine options.

Whether you want to access your health care team using telemedicine or you’d rather see your doctor in person, there are many options to choose from to make sure you’re getting the very best care possible.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to go to the doctor, you would have to literally go to the doctor. But thankfully, that is no longer the case. With the advent of telecommunications came the capability for some basic medical work to be done over the phone, mainly rudimentary diagnosis. Now, with telecommunication technologies having developed at astonishing rates, the capabilities of our telecommunication services have allowed a form of medicine called telemedicine to quickly develop and flourish. Telemedicine is the science of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention all done remotely through a multifaceted approach of audio, video, imaging, and text. It aims to help those patients who would otherwise struggle to get medical help due to their isolated location.

If you’re someone who lives in a rural area with no access to a medical health practitioner, or someone with limited mobility for whom traveling is difficult, then telemedicine is precisely what you need. No longer is there a need to travel great distances in pain to see a doctor. Instead, you can get care as quickly as it takes to call a telemedical center. At this point, you’re probably wondering what the efficacy of telemedicine is comparative to traditional medicine. We understand that however convenient the form of medical help, nothing replaces effectiveness when it comes to one’s health. Let us put your mind at rest: many studies have proven the efficacy of telemedicine to be comparable to that of traditional medicine in many areas. Your doctor will be able to advise you on when and where telemedicine is a viable option for you, but if you’re someone with a smartphone, you have a huge amount of technological power in the palm of your hand – and health practitioners can tap into that technology to help track, diagnose, and treat any illnesses or diseases you may have.

With telemedicine, you can have a virtual doctor in your pocket as long as you’ve got access to a smartphone!

Mobile Collaboration

Mobile collaboration technology provides health care practitioners in multiple locations the ability to share information and work together on patient issues.

Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring significantly reduces the need for outpatient visits and facilitates remote prescription verification. This has the potential to significantly reduce the overall cost of medical care for both patients and the health care system.

Reduction in Infectious Diseases

If the idea of a health professional contracting an infectious disease from another patient and passing it onto you has you squirming, you’ll love telemedicine! It eliminates the possible transmission of infectious diseases or parasites between patients and health professionals as they do not come into contact with one another.

Embarrassed By Your Malady?

We understand that some maladies are more embarrassing to be seen with than others. And if you happen to have an embarrassing illness, disease, or wound, the thought of sitting in a doctor’s office may be overwhelming. That feeling of overwhelm may make you put off actually getting the help you need. In this instance, telemedicine is an ideal solution to your embarrassment. You will still have to share information and video/images with your doctor, but you can rest assured doctor-patient confidentiality will guarantee it doesn’t leave your communications.

All you need is a smartphone or tablet to access the medical care you require.

Suffering From a Chronic Illness?

Suffering from a chronic illness is difficult enough without having to deal with frequent journeys to medical centers. It can be extremely difficult to motivate yourself to make those journeys, regardless of how helpful they may be. Delaying the treatment of any illness or disease can lead it to becoming unmanageable. But with telemedicine, you can alleviate some of your pain by receiving help from the comfort of your home. Subsequently, you’ll be more likely to have the motivation necessary to ensure you stay diligent in administering any drugs or care.

Telepharmacy

With telemedicine, pharmacists can deliver medical prescriptions digitally. It’s particularly useful with chronic illnesses that require repeat prescriptions. Telepharmacy pharmaceuticals can be delivered at retail pharmacy sites or through hospitals, nursing homes, or other medical care facilities – wherever is easiest for the patient in question.

Reducing Patient Costs

It is easy to see how the use of telemedicine can reduce patient costs by reducing travel costs, as well as reducing unnecessary health care costs for the government through more timely and efficient electronic doctor visits, avoidance of unneeded ER trips, and nonadherence. All this leads to lower health care costs for patients.

Extended Access

With many areas of health care now using telemedicine, medical practices can consult with niche, specialist medical practitioners when trying to diagnose or treat patient illnesses and diseases far more rapidly. This means diagnosis and subsequent care comes about quicker and leads to far quicker recovery.

So what are you waiting for? It’s never been easier to pick up the phone and get your ailments, illnesses, wounds, and diseases cured or managed all from the comfort of your home. And it’s all thanks to the wonders of modern telecommunications and the technological innovations they have allowed within telemedicine.

Telemedicine may appear to be a new-fangled technology that is coming to destroy the jobs of established medical professionals, but the truth is that it’s been around for a long time and is just experiencing a renaissance thanks to smartphone technology. While people may be slightly fearful of what they don’t know, the reality is that telemedicine has the potential to change everything, both for patients and for doctors.

Simply put, telemedicine is the combination of telecommunications technology with medicine. It allows medical professionals to deliver diagnostic and medical advice over telecommunications technology. In earlier instances, technology such as radio and traditional telephones were used, particularly in rural areas and in war and combat environments. Nowadays, telemedicine is using smartphone technology to provide the best health care possible to all kinds of patients.

Telemedicine is revolutionizing the way doctors and patients communicate.

If you’re wondering how a telemedical appointment even works, you’re not alone. Luckily, the process is very simple for both patients and medical professionals. If you’re a patient, you can access a telemedical doctor via an online service. Depending on the service, you can either make an appointment or “walk in” to see someone. If you need to wait, you may have to stay in a virtual meeting room, but once you’re connected to a medical professional, they will conduct your appointment via your phone, usually by video chat. It is just like an in-person appointment. They will ask about your symptoms, your lifestyle, and any treatments that you may have administered to yourself at home. If they need to take your heart rate or blood pressure, you may have to visit a pharmacist to administer these tests, but otherwise, the appointment is very similar to an in-person consultation.

Your telemedical doctor will diagnose you and if you need a prescription, it can be sent directly to your pharmacist so you don’t have to worry about losing it. The best thing about telemedicine is that it takes a lot of the stress out of the hands of patients. It also caters to patients who may not be able to properly access traditional health care. If you have mobility issues, including physical disabilities, it is easier to receive medical advice over your smartphone as opposed to having to leave the house several times a month. It can also be very helpful for people suffering from mental or emotional conditions that may prevent them from being able to leave the house. Many mentally ill people are unable to access health care due to their social isolation, but telemedicine can help them to get the medical advice that they sorely need.

With smartphone technology, the possibilities for telemedical advances are endless.

Technological advances mean that you don’t even need a high-end smartphone to access telemedicine. Given that most phones these days have cameras and access to app stores, you are likely to have access to the technology that you need to get medical advice via telemedicine. It’s also very easy for medical professionals, as they likely only need a smartphone or a laptop themselves to be able to help patients. All both parties need is a camera and an internet connection to be able to make the relationship work. This flexibility means that doctors can work the hours that suit them as opposed to being slaves to strict clinical schedules, and that patients can see a doctor at a time that doesn’t interfere with their day-to-day lives. Given that we use our phones to manage most aspects of our lives, why wouldn’t we use it to easily track our medical progress?

Telemedicine also delivers information directly into the hands of patients. In a traditional clinical setting, your records are stored either physically or digitally in the doctor’s office, and you are unlikely to be able to access them without filing a special request. With telemedicine, your records are usually stored within your profile on the website that you use – and you can check your prescription or your consultation notes whenever you want. This process gives the power back to patients and means that you are not tied to a certain clinic because if you need to change service providers, your information is right there waiting for you.

Telemedicine is already changing so much in the medical world, both for patients and for doctors. It is allowing flexibility, empowering patients, and making it easier than ever to access real medical advice. It’s the best way for patients to be able to access health care in an easy and flexible way that doesn’t impinge too much on their lives, and doctors are able to access a larger and more diverse pool of patients as well as being able to work far more flexibly. It seems like an obvious choice for everyone – so what’s holding you back?

Telemedicine (the digital diagnosis and treatment of patients) is revolutionizing medicine by linking patients and doctors while significantly reducing expenses for both parties. The efficacy of telemedicine has risen substantially in recent years thanks to developments in telecommunications. In such a fast-paced industry it can be difficult to keep up with its evolution, but we aim to ensure you stay on the bleeding edge of its advancements. Recently, the legalization of marijuana in numerous states has led telemedicine to offer patients an incredibly easy way to get medical marijuana.

Once upon a time, someone suffering from chronic illness such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, or Alzheimer’s could only find marijuana on the streets, and they’d be at risk of arrest just for possession. Now, anyone with an illness or disease that would be aided by the prescription of marijuana is legally free to obtain medical marijuana from many health practitioners around the country. This change in law provided people with access to government-regulated marijuana, where dosage and strains could be extremely accurately defined and prescribed, dependent on patient needs. It’s been a huge step forward for America, and a particularly huge step for medicine. Since the legalization of medical marijuana, the use of opioid painkillers and subsequent deaths from said painkillers has been significantly reduced.

However, a great many people suffering from chronic conditions are left so debilitated by their pain that traveling, or even leaving their houses, is out of the question. Until recently, an inability to get to the doctor would guarantee these people would not be prescribed medical marijuana. And so their pain would persist despite a known alleviator. Furthermore, there is still a climate of shame regarding the use of medical marijuana in some communities. This results in patients who are in dire need of a prescription forgoing one on the basis that they don’t want to be identified by someone they know going into a medical marijuana doctor’s office. They desire true anonymity.

Changes in the legalization of marijuana and the advent of telemedicine have gone hand in hand.

To further progress things, telemedicine has begun to allow medical marijuana prescriptions to be granted via telecommunications, including through websites such as MMJRecs. Subsequently, patients with chronic illness do not have to go through the pain or discomfort of traveling long distances to get medical marijuana. This is particularly important in states with a geographically dispersed population. But currently, not all states allow a medical marijuana prescription through telemedicine. Also, it must be noted that in order to benefit from telemedicine of any kind, you must be considered far enough from a doctor that traveling for an in-person visit would be difficult. Each state has its own ideas when it comes to telemedicine and the law, so it’s best to check your state’s legislation to figure out whether you qualify. A local doctor may also be of help in understanding the relevant state-level laws.

An established doctor-patient relationship is a requirement in medical marijuana treatment. States do not want doctors blindly providing patients with medical marijuana without first building up a detailed idea of their medical history and subsequently identifying a likely diagnosis that will be aided by the use of marijuana. Telemedicine allows medical practitioners to develop a relationship with patients who are incapacitated from the comfort of the patient’s home. With medical marijuana now legal to be prescribed via telemedicine, doctors are better able to serve their patients in a timely manner.

California’s medical board is certainly at the forefront of advancements in laws relevant to both medical marijuana and telemedicine, and they had this to say: “The initial examination for the condition for which marijuana is being recommended must be an appropriate prior examination and meet the standard of care. Telehealth, in compliance with Business and Professions Code section 2290.5, is a tool in the practice of medicine and does not change the standard of care.”

California is one state that has embraced the combination of legalized medical marijuana and telemedicine.

It may be surprising to some to learn that California is the only state where an explicitly positive policy regarding the use of telemedicine in conjunction with medical marijuana prescription has been laid out. This provides Californian doctors the ability to recommend medical marijuana via telemedicine without fear of losing their license to practice medicine or being sued.

So it’s clear to see that telemedicine is greatly impacted by the legalization of marijuana. With the legalization of marijuana, or any other drug, comes far more complexity in the laws and practice of telemedicine. As medical practitioners attempt to grapple with new laws and currently undefined ones in this relatively new and incredibly exciting area, there is likely to be some hesitance to go all in on telemedicine for fear of legal retribution. But as time goes on, the impressive efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telemedicine will ensure that the laws surrounding it will get properly defined, and that more and more health practitioners will feel comfortable exploring the myriad benefits this young form of medicine provides.

The biggest complaint that people seem to have about modern life is that it’s too busy and crazy. In today’s world, we are being pulled in so many different directions and it can be so difficult to find a moment to engage in self-care. With professional responsibilities becoming ever more present in all facets of our lives, and social media ensuring that are social lives are broadcast performances, it can be hard to take care of ourselves at a basic level. That’s where telemedicine can help.

Trying to find time to visit the doctor can prove impossible to do alongside working full-time. Most doctor’s clinics only open during office hours and they can be inflexible in accommodating working professionals. Similarly, not all jobs offer paid leave to attend medical appointments, so sometimes you may literally be asked to choose between money and health. However, there are many new advances in telemedicine ensuring that busy professionals are having their health care needs properly met.

Telemedicine is not a new phenomenon, but it is experiencing a new renaissance thanks to smartphone technology. Simply put, telemedicine is the delivery of health or diagnostic advice via the means of telecommunications technology. It has been used since the advent of the emergence of telecommunications technology, usually to serve people in war-torn remote places, but it is now far easier to access thanks to smartphones.

As a busy professional, you’re probably already using smartphone and tablet technology constantly – why not put it to use in your health care, too?

While it may seem odd to use your smartphone to access this kind of technology, it really couldn’t be easier. Firstly, depending on the service you pick, you can either make a formal appointment or drop in to a virtual waiting room. When it comes time to see a doctor, you will be connected via the camera on your smartphone. After this, it’s just the same as seeing a doctor in person. They will ask why you have come for an appointment, talk you through your symptoms, and ask you to move your camera to look at any physical symptoms, if you have any. Then they may order further tests or send a prescription to you. This all happens from anywhere that you happen to be. It couldn’t be easier.

As well as working around your busy schedule, telemedical doctors will make your life even easier by doing the hard work for you. If they feel that you need further tests, they will send a letter to you, detailing what needs to be done so that you can take it to a specialist. If you require a prescription, they can have it sent to your local pharmacy, so that your medication will be ready and waiting for you when you go to pick it up, saving you even more time. In today’s busy world, what could be better?

The key advantage of telemedicine is that its main purpose is to make the lives of its users easier. As well as the advantages listed above, telemedicine also empowers its users to take charge of their medical histories. Usually, it can be a tenuous and difficult process to access your medical records from a traditional doctor’s clinic. However, with telemedical providers, your records are stored centrally, in a way that they can be easily accessed by patients if needed. This also means that if you happen to see a different doctor, they can easily access your records to provide you with the best care possible in light of your medical history.

Using telemedicine instead of visiting a doctor in-person can save busy professionals so much valuable time.

If you commute a long way to work, have limited mobility, or live far away from your doctor, telemedicine can truly revolutionize your life. Instead of messing up your daily routine to grab ten minutes with a traditional doctor, wait until you get back to the comfort of your home to grab a consultation with a telemedical doctor. You don’t have to mess up your daily routine, and you won’t lose any of your precious leisure time by diverting yourself to the doctor’s office, even if you’re lucky enough to get an appointment outside of office hours.

The truth is that telemedicine is truly changing the lives of busy professionals. We live in a world where we have higher and higher expectations on us from work thanks to mobile technology, but this technology can also help us to make our lives more efficient. Why wait in a germy doctor’s waiting room when you can chat to a fully qualified doctor from the comfort and privacy of your own home? Why traipse from doctor’s office to pharmacy to wait to have a prescription filled when your telemedical doctor can make sure that your medication is ready and waiting for you when you get to the pharmacy? Take back your life and your personal time. The power is in your hands and on your phone!