There is no denying that telehealth has been perhaps the biggest technological revolution that has swept the healthcare industry in recent years. Telehealth involves the virtualization of ordinary health provision and technologies like remote prescriptions, mobile apps, and video conferencing. In other words, it is the same technology that has made such an impact across nearly every part of modern life. It is a technology that has powered the remote working revolution, which has seen increased numbers of people leave the office for the home office. The Covid-19 pandemic, naturally enough, only accelerated this trend and fueled the development of the technology further.
The Rise of Telehealth
Telehealth has grown on account for almost identical reasons. As well as using the same technology, the Covid pandemic also had a similar accelerating effect. And there is no doubt that this has brought many benefits to certain patients. For example, those patients who would find traveling large distances physically strenuous can receive healthcare remotely, and those with mental health problems can receive emergency help much easier. Moreover, telehealth also lessens the strain on hospitals and other institutions.
For those navigating the healthcare jobs market, telehealth also opens a range of hitherto new opportunities. Health Jobs Nationwide, a healthcare recruitment company, say that one of the reasons why American healthcare is currently in a job seeker’s market, (with more vacancies than candidates to fill them) is that telehealth has simply opened many new roles. A career entirely in telehealth is not completely unthinkable, and these types of jobs seem likely only to become more common into the future.
The Drawbacks of Telehealth
This aspect of the telehealth revolution raises an important point. Is it always a good thing? By only worsening the talent shortage in the healthcare industry, it can certainly be viewed as having a negative effect in this case. Telehealth undoubtedly has many benefits, but what are its drawbacks?
Just as remote working has not completely replaced traditional office working, so too does telehealth have no chance of completely replacing hospitals (obviously). This is of course because we will always need physical spaces to house at least some of the sick. However, it is also because telehealth very definitely has its limitations. Here are a few of them:
Asynchronous Communication Gaps
This first drawback grows out of a benefit. Asynchronous communication allows automated service of patients by requiring no physical person to be on the other end of the line. Nevertheless, problems can arise from this. Without a physical doctor to speak to, any special requests not anticipated by the system cannot be made. In healthcare, such requests are not at all uncommon.
Primary Care is Limited
Even a phone call has its limitations when dealing with a patient. Telehealth is not – or should not be – a commercial service, but the very nature of it often makes it seem like one. For example, guaranteeing patient safety and properly examining a patient’s condition will often involve some in-person examination. This cannot be done when telehealth is treated like ordering something on Amazon.
Patient Dissatisfaction
So far, we have focused on the things that you cannot do with telehealth. Still, patients will often continue to expect the same level of care as they would receive from an in-person consultation. When they do not receive it, it can reflect poorly on the healthcare institution in question.
Telehealth certainly seems like it is here to stay and going over the drawbacks is more to do with making it better and recognizing when it is not appropriate rather than to make the case against it. It cannot do everything.
