Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and more create a significant challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Managing these conditions often requires consistent and long-term medical attention. Telehealth technology has risen as an innovative tool, offering a new approach to the management of these chronic illnesses. This article will delve into the transformative role of telehealth in the management of chronic diseases, exploring its potential to enhance patient care, improve health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.
Telehealth Benefits in Chronic Disease Care
1. Convenient Access to Frequent Care
In a typical healthcare setting, providers often have tightly-packed schedules, which means they have to move quickly between rooms in less than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in appointments with chronic disease patients not fully addressing their needs or obtaining essential information for ongoing care.1 Managing a chronic disease requires regular and frequent visits to the doctor, which can be burdensome for both the patient and the provider. Whether it’s due to time constraints, transportation issues, weather, or mobility issues, patients dealing with chronic diseases face many obstacles in accessing healthcare.
Telehealth alleviates these burdens by enabling patients to attend appointments from the comfort of their own homes. This not only creates a more relaxed atmosphere for conversations but also empowers patients to take a more active role in the decision-making process. It is also easier for family members or loved ones to be (virtually) present and participate in the visits.1
By offering more frequent care between in-person visits, providers are able to easily see how a patient is doing on a new diet or medications and further explain test results or how to use monitoring devices at home. This is invaluable to a patient dealing with chronic disease.3
2. Higher Quality of Care
Not only are patients able to receive more frequent care, but studies have shown that the quality of care and quality of life increases when chronic disease patients are able to chat with their provider more frequently. In this journal, patients who utilized telehealth chronic disease management systems (TCDMS) saw a positive effect on their physical, mental, and social quality of life across multiple chronic diseases.2
Regular contact also offers the advantage of detecting changes in the patient’s health status sooner rather than later. By quickly addressing these concerns, telehealth plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal health conditions and minimizing hospital re-admissions for chronic disease patients. The improved patient-provider interaction, disease management, and patient compliance show a remarkable increase in the quality of care provided to chronic disease patients through telehealth.
While telehealth cannot completely replace in-person visits for patients managing chronic diseases, it can significantly enhance the overall experience and bring numerous benefits to both patients and healthcare providers. The increased accessibility to healthcare professionals and medical information motivates patients to adhere more effectively to medication and lifestyle adjustments, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.