Telemedicine is a relatively new term, and yet, it has already garnered a fair amount of attention throughout the health community. Telemedicine involves the growing presence of technology that allows patients to speak with doctors, to learn more about specific conditions, and even to obtain remote diagnoses. Does this represent the future? If so, are there any possible drawbacks to consider before coming to a conclusion? Let’s take a broad look at what the experts have to say.
Virtual Doctors
One of the main benefits associated with telemedicine is that patients are often able to obtain professional advice without having to physically travel to a real-world clinic (or hospital). It is now relatively simple for qualified personnel to employ a website builder outfitted with modern communications technology. Examples include:
This obviously provides advantages to the elderly, the extremely informed, and anyone who may be suffering from mobility issues.
Collective Health Care?
We are referring to the rise of social media channels associated with medical advice in this sense. There are many ways in which individuals can obtain valuable information with the click of a button. It is also relatively easy to join forums that discuss specific topics (such as the latest cancer treatments). The primary appeal of social media is that it fosters interpersonal connections that can be used to obtain additional levels of emotional support. In other words, individuals no longer have to feel that they are suffering in silence.
Access to Professionally Curated Information
Let us imagine that a person wishes to diagnose a skin condition. He or she may choose to access professionally vetted white papers that have been written by experts in the field. From articles discussing psoriasis and eczema to more serious concerns such as melanoma, there are plenty of online resources. This would have been virtually impossible without the help of the Internet. Note that others may choose to consult general sources (such as Wikipedia) before being redirected to specific citations. While this will never replace the knowledge of a trained doctor, it could very well represent an excellent starting point.
Should We be Concerned?
While technology has certainly come a long way, there are also some issues that telemedicine could present. One major worry involves the lack of a physical examination, as doctors are often hard-pressed to diagnose a condition before performing a real-world consultation. Another risk is associated with transparency. Does the so-called “expert” possess the necessary credentials? How can these be proven to the patient? Furthermore, the entire telemedicine industry is likely to face stiff challenges in terms of regulations. Might universal cross-border guidelines eventually be warranted? How will these be monitored and enforced? Will a centralised governing body be needed? These are all valid enquiries.
However, it is impossible to deny the impact that telemedicine has already had on the international health community. We will simply have to wait to see what the future has in store.
