Remote telehealth is to distribute health-related services and information through electronic information and telecommunications technology. It allows patients and clinicians to achieve long-distance contact, care, advice, reminder, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admission. Remote telehealth is sometimes used as a synonym, or in a narrower sense to describe remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring. It may narrow the gap when rural areas, inconvenient transportation, reduced funds or insufficient staff limit medical opportunities.
Remote telehealth also includes remote learning, meetings, supervision and speeches between practitioners and online information and health data management as well as medical system integration. It allows two clinicians to discuss a case through video conference, robotic surgery through remote access, physical therapy through digital monitoring instruments, real-time data and combined applications, forwarding tests between facilities interpreted by senior experts, family monitoring through continuous sending of patient health data, online meetings between customers and practitioners and even translation for video call during consultation.
Remote telehealth is sometimes discussed interchangeably. The management of health resources and services is different from remote telehealth. In its scope, remote telehealth is defined only as a description of remote medical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring, remote medicine, and preventive, promotional and therapeutic health care services. This includes the above non-clinical applications, such as administration and provider education.
Remote telehealth may be beneficial to patients in remote communities and remote areas. They can get care from remote doctors or experts, and patients do not have to go out to visit them. The latest development of mobile collaboration technology can enable healthcare professionals in multiple locations to share information and discuss patient issues as if they were in the same location. Remote patient monitoring through mobile technology can reduce the need for outpatient visits, and can carry out remote prescription verification and drug management supervision, which may significantly reduce the overall medical costs. It may also be preferable for patients with mobility difficulties (such as patients with Parkinson’s disease). Remote telehealth can also promote medical education by allowing workers to observe experts in their fields and share best practices more easily.
Remote telehealth can also eliminate the possible transmission of infectious diseases or parasites between patients and medical personnel. This is especially an issue when considering MRSA. In addition, some patients who feel uncomfortable in the doctor’s office may have better remote treatment. For example, white coat syndrome can be avoided. It is also necessary to consider the patients staying with family members at home, or they need to be sent to the clinic by ambulance.
TRANSTEK remote medical monitoring is an integral part of remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices that including BP cuff, weight scale, BGM and activity tracker, the measurement data meet needs of reimbursement by CMS.
