Although it sounds like a relatively new phenomenon, telemedicine has been around in some form or another since the invention of the telephone. The focal idea behind the movement, since its inception, has been to provide patients living in rural areas, or patients that are physically incapacitated, with access to top-level healthcare via the medium of telecommunications. While it was implemented successfully in decades previous, telemedicine was regarded as a fringe service, with the main bulk of patients opting to visit their doctor in person. However, the relentless progression of digital technology has made the service more relevant than ever, with telemedicine poised to become a major force in the future of the healthcare industry.

The smartphone is the main herald of this technological advancement, and has cemented itself as a necessity for modern day living. We do most of everything on our phones these days, from hailing a taxi to checking the weather. GPS co-ordination is a perfect example of how dependent we’ve become on having instantaneous access to this progressive technology; can you imagine going to meet a friend at a new bar or coffee shop and not being able to whip out your phone and check where it is? It seems crazy to operate in 2017 without the aid of Google Maps, and as future generations become more and more integrated with digital technology, this reliance will only become more pervasive.

Smartphone apps have revolutionized telemedicine to such a degree that we practically carry our doctors around in our pockets…or on our wrists!

Apps have revolutionized many different aspects of our lives, in many beneficial ways. There are apps to take seriously and apps to pass the time; each sector has its big hitters. One of the most positive places they’ve had an effect is the arena of telemedicine, where they are being integrated to the healthcare system in increasingly important ways. No matter where you are in the world, as long as you have a smartphone, you have access to a doctor. Imagine you’re out hiking in the wilds and get bitten by a suspicious looking insect; you don’t know what breed it is, and are worried the bite might be dangerous. You can simply open your smartphone and be chatting with a real doctor in mere minutes. Or imagine you’re snowbound for a few days and a member of your family is developing worrying symptoms; in days past, you’d have to wait until you had access to a physical doctor. These days, you can see one through your smartphone or tablet.

Doctors can even prescribe medication over the internet, through telemedicine apps. Take medical marijuana for instance, a previously controversial treatment which is now gaining legal traction in the U.S., having been legalized in twenty nine states so far; you can simply log on to a site such as MMJ Recs and get outfitted with a medical marijuana identification card, so you can start availing of the medicine for your specific condition. The possibilities of telemedicine are endless, and will only keep growing as technology progresses to accommodate them.

There are a lot of benefits to consider around telemedicine, and even more in the competitive app arena. Firstly, they make healthcare extremely convenient for everyone, no matter where you live. Previously, people who lived in rural areas or who were incapacitated had to travel miles to see their primary care physician, and probably even further to see a local specialist. Telemedicine removes the distance barrier, and ensures everyone has equal access to healthcare. Secondly, it’s reducing health costs across the board, on both sides of the line. Everyone knows the medical industry is an expensive game, but telemedicine is reducing costs for the patients and doctors, by allowing consultations to take less time. This frees up the doctor’s day, and also allows them to charge less to their patients, as well as negate any travel costs.

Telemedicine allows those who can’t get to a doctor regularly to have 24/7 medical access.

Another striking benefit comes from the app model itself. There are millions of apps out there that do so many different things, but competition in each sector is fierce. Healthcare apps are no different; thousands of them battle it out on the App Store and Google Play for browsers’ attention and ultimately downloads. This has a leveling effect, introducing competition to a sector which generally isn’t renowned for it, equaling better results at a lower cost for patients. As it stands, telemedicine is on the cusp of becoming a huge revolution in the healthcare industry, a revolution which is sure to happen in the next couple of years. It’s undoubtedly going to be a positive force in people’s lives, producing better results at a fast pace for a lower cost. All in all, apps are a perfect fit for telemedicine, and provide a fertile soil for its future growth. As digital technology is integrated more and more into our daily lives, telemedicine is set to become a regularity for residents all across the US.

As digital technology continues to grow more and more powerful, our society is shifting to better help meet our needs. Despite countless medical advances, the health system has remained largely unchanged in terms of the way it operates; patients have something wrong with them, so they schedule a meeting with a doctor, go and confer with them, and then avail of some kind of treatment. It’s been this way for centuries, even if the methods of treating illnesses have progressed incalculably. However, with the advent of telemedicine, the method that patients use to interact with their doctors has changed for the better.

Telemedicine refers to the practise of clinically consulting with your doctor from your home, using a telecommunications device. The idea is not new, and has essentially been around since the invention of the telephone; however, with the advancement of digital technology and the prevalence of smartphones, tablets and other powerful handheld gadgets, telemedicine is in a position to take a giant leap forward in the healthcare arena. But how it exactly will it benefit everyone? Here’re five reasons why telemedicine could improve your health.

1 – It’s Fast

Because telemedicine doesn’t require you to visit a doctor in person, it can be an extremely fast way of detecting signs of critical conditions like a stroke or a heart attack, and can be used to advise patients on whether they need to take a trip to the emergency room or not. Also, it’s fast in another way; you can get referred to specialists quicker, and the general practise of contacting your doctor takes much less time out of your day, leaving you to focus on other elements. Previously, for some people, a trip to the doctor’s office would constitute a large portion of a given day; the speed of telemedicine allows you to get the healthcare you need at a much quicker pace.

2 – It Can Get You Access to Better Specialists

Speaking of specialists, telemedicine can help patients, especially patients in remote areas, access the best specialists possible. Traditionally, you were bound to whatever local specialist was available for your specific condition; with telemedicine, your local health care practitioner can recommend the best specialists from all over the country, allowing you to choose form the wealth of experience they offer. There’s no need to be tied down to the local specialists anymore; telemedicine is opening up whole new doors for patients, which can only improve the country’s general health.

Telemedicine can improve your health simply by guaranteeing that you get to hear from a specialist.

3 – It Helps You To Not Put Off That Doctor’s Visit

Let’s face it, doctor’s visits are extremely easy things to put off, but they really shouldn’t be. Deep down, everyone knows that they should listen to their body and immediately go to a doctor when they instinctively know something’s wrong; however, very few of us actually act on that instinct immediately, sometimes with catastrophic results. For some reason, we always find a way to convince ourselves either that we’re fine, or that we’ll book that appointment tomorrow. Telemedicine takes the ‘event’ feeling out of a doctor’s visit, and allows us to incorporate it seamlessly into our routines. It helps us to not put off that nagging feeling we should see a doctor, which is essential to maintaining a healthy disposition.

4 – Patients Can Get Access to Treatments From Home

If a patient happens to be disabled, it might be incredibly tough for them to physically reach a doctor’s office, let alone see one on a regular basis to avail of the healthcare they need. Even something as simple as a handicap parking permit might be out of reach for a disabled person, despite it being a valuable tool for them to improve their life with. It’s not just physically disabled patients either; mentally disabled patients might be incapacitated and not capable of benefiting from a variety of treatments.

Through telemedicine, these patients can avail of progressive new therapies like Emotional Support Animals, all from the comfort and convenience of their homes.

Why visit the doctor when you can get a consultation on your phone?

5 – It’s the Way of the Future

As digital technology continues to evolve, telemedicine will continue to evolve with it. 2017 was a big year for the advancement of the healthcare industry, and 2018 looks to be no smaller. Telemedicine has already proven its worth in a variety of ways, and all signs point to it being rolled out all over the country in the coming months and years. From helping patients with chronic conditions manage it themselves to providing patients in rural areas with reliable, responsive healthcare access, telemedicine is a major benefit to patients everywhere. In order to be in the best position to benefit from this progressive leap in technology, start investigating if telemedicine can help you right now, and join the wave of digitally-involved healthcare.