Video Technology In Healthcare: What Is Telemedicine?

In simple terms, telemedicine is a field of medicine that uses telecommunication and information technologies to provide remote clinical services to patients. It enables healthcare professionals to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients remotely, without the need for in-person visits.
October 15, 2023
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Minutes Read

Had you told someone that we can access video content via mobile devices two decades ago, they would have looked at you like you were some kind of a conspiracy theorist. Yes, watch Shakira’s reaction seeing just a smartphone camera in 2002:

So, explaining the concept of telemedicine – or that digital devices would be all that’s required for medical consultations – would’ve sounded something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Fast forward to 2020, and millions of people embraced telemedicine across the globe. Many primary care institutions even had to temporarily stop accepting in-person consultations because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Telemedicine sessions served as the only means of contact for most patients and healthcare professionals.

However, telemedicine is not a new concept.

Telemedicine has had a presence since the 1950s. Universities and healthcare facilities utilised telephone lines to transfer patient information, consultations, and even images from one place to another. In fact, looking further back, inventor Hugo Gernsback had an interesting idea related to telemedicine in 1925. He envisioned the "teledactyl," a robot equipped with video game-like controllers for doctors to remotely diagnose and examine their patients from a distance.

All of this seems great but it leads to the burning question:

What is Telemedicine?

In simple terms, telemedicine is a field of medicine that uses telecommunication and information technologies to provide remote clinical services to patients. It enables healthcare professionals to diagnose, treat, and monitor patients remotely, without the need for in-person visits. This can be accomplished through various means such as videoconferencing, remote monitoring devices, and mobile health applications.

Telemedicine services can range from basic consultations and diagnoses to more complex treatments and ongoing care. The use of telemedicine has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by advancements in technology and increased demand for more convenient and accessible healthcare services.

The Importance of Telemedicine in Healthcare

Today, telemedicine and healthcare go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. And, although the importance of telemedicine is manifold, here are few major ways how it’s impacting the healthcare sector:

Better Access to Care

Telemedicine, more specifically, video-based telemedicine makes healthcare accessible to patients in remote or underserved areas, or those who face barriers to in-person visits, such as mobility issues or transportation difficulties.

More Convenient

Something as simple as a sore throat required people to make an appointment, wait their turn, and meet the doctor, just to be diagnosed within minutes. Not only is it an inconvenient process for a simple issue, it also delays patients with more serious issues from seeing the doctor sooner. Hence, patients with non-threatening medical issues can receive medical attention from the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for time-consuming and costly trips to a healthcare facility.

Improved outcomes

Telemedicine enables real-time monitoring and management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, which can lead to better health outcomes and reduced hospitalization rates.

Continuity of Care

Healthcare providers can monitor patients between in-person visits, improving the continuity of care and reducing the risk of health deterioration. This can be especially important for patients with chronic conditions who require ongoing management.

Increased Engagement

Telemedicine empowers patients to take an active role in their own care by enabling them to communicate with their healthcare providers and access health information. This increased engagement can improve patient outcomes by promoting better health behaviors and improved adherence to treatment plans.

Reduced Exposure to Infections

Since telemedicine reduces the need for in-person visits, reducing the risk of patients contracting infections in healthcare facilities. This can be especially important for patients with weakened immune systems or for those who are at higher risk for exposure to infections.

Improved Patient Satisfaction

Providing convenient, accessible, and personalized healthcare services is bound to leave any patient satisfied.

Advantages of Telemedicine for Healthcare Institutions

Reduced Healthcare Facility Costs

Telemedicine can reduce the need for patients to visit healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, leading to lower costs associated with these facilities, including staffing and maintenance.

Fewer Hospitalizations and Readmissions

Since patients are constantly in touch with healthcare professionals remotely, telemedicine helps prevent complications and reduce the need for hospitalization by enabling timely diagnosis and treatment.

Additionally, remote monitoring can help reduce readmissions by allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients' progress and quickly respond to any changes in their condition without the need for unnecessary utilization of hospital rooms.

Increased Efficiency

Medical institutions can streamline the delivery of care, reducing wait times and improving the efficiency of healthcare providers. This could result in reduced labor costs and improved productivity as medical professionals will be more free to focus on pressing issues.

Enhanced collaboration

Thanks to Telemedicine, there can be increased collaboration between healthcare providers and other healthcare-related facilities enabling them to consult with specialists and share patient information more efficiently.

Now that we have understood what telemedicine is and how it’s beneficial, we can take a look at:

Types of Telemedicine

  1. Store-and-forward Technology

Telemedicine with store-and-forward capability refers to a type of telemedicine that allows healthcare providers to exchange medical information and images between patients and healthcare providers using digital technologies, such as computers, smartphones, or tablets.

In store-and-forward telemedicine, medical information is captured and stored by the patient or the healthcare provider and then transmitted to the other party at a later time, rather than in real-time.

This type of telemedicine is particularly useful in situations where real-time communication is not possible or practical, such as when the patient is in a remote location with limited or no internet connectivity.

Store-and-forward telemedicine can be used to support a variety of medical specialties, such as dermatology, ophthalmology, and radiology, by allowing healthcare providers to review images and other medical information, diagnose medical conditions, and make treatment recommendations.

This type of telemedicine is increasingly being used to improve access to healthcare, particularly for patients in rural or underserved areas, and to support the delivery of care for patients with chronic conditions who need to be monitored regularly.

B. Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a type of telemedicine that allows healthcare providers to monitor and track a patient's health status remotely, typically using wearable or in-home medical devices. The collected data is transmitted wirelessly to the healthcare provider, which can then use the information to make informed decisions about the patient's care.

RPM can be used to monitor a variety of health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The goal of RPM is to improve patient outcomes by detecting health problems early and intervening before they become more serious. It also helps healthcare providers to monitor patients with chronic conditions more effectively and efficiently, reducing the need for in-person visits and hospital admissions.

RPM typically involves the use of wearable devices, such as fitness trackers or continuous glucose monitors, and in-home devices, such as blood pressure monitors or weight scales. The patient's data is transmitted to a secure platform, where healthcare providers can access and review it. This allows healthcare providers to monitor a patient's health status in real-time, and to respond quickly to any changes or concerns.

In addition to improving patient outcomes, it is also a convenient and accessible way for patients to receive care, especially for those who live in rural or underserved areas, or who have mobility or transportation challenges.

C. Real-time telemedicine

Real-time telemedicine refers to a type of telemedicine that allows healthcare providers and patients to communicate in real-time, using digital technologies such as video conferencing, instant messaging, or voice calls.

The healthcare provider can assess the patient's symptoms, perform a virtual examination, and make a diagnosis, all from a remote location.

Real-time telemedicine can be used for a variety of medical specialties, including primary care, mental health, and specialty care. It provides patients with convenient and accessible healthcare services, reducing the need for in-person visits and reducing wait times.

However, real-time telemedicine also has some limitations, such as:

  • The need for a reliable internet connection
  • The need for the patient to have access to the necessary technology
  • The limitations of virtual exams as they may not be as effective as in-person examinations in some cases.

Despite these limitations, real-time telemedicine is becoming an increasingly important component of modern healthcare, and is expected to play a significant role in the future of healthcare delivery.

Video Technology in Healthcare: Teyuto for your end-to-end needs

Video technology is playing an increasingly crucial role in healthcare, allowing for real-time communication between patients and healthcare providers.

Teyuto understands the needs of healthcare providers and ensures that its clients extend impeccable services to their customers, partners, and medical professionals.

Here are some of the ways in which Teyuto helps healthcare businesses to integrate video technology into their healthcare platforms:

1. Improved Patient Access

Patients can access live and on-demand videos, teleconsultations, and other healthcare services from the comfort of their own homes. This can be especially useful for patients with mobility issues, those living in remote areas, or those with busy schedules.

2. Enhanced Patient Engagement

Video technology can enhance patient engagement by providing personalized, interactive, and visually appealing healthcare content. Teyuto's video personalization feature, powered by Teti AI, as an instance can help healthcare providers create tailored healthcare content for each patient. This can lead to better patient education, understanding, and adherence to treatment plans.

3. Cost-effective Telemedicine

Telemedicine effectively minimizes the healthcare costs by reducing in-person visits, transportation costs, facility maintenance, staffing, and other related expenses. However, the cost of telemedicine can also be sizable, especially when it comes to video distribution.

Here, Teyuto's proprietary streaming algorithm, adaptive bitrate streaming, and the ability to use its edge cloud network can effectively reduce costs while ensuring high video quality.

Moreover, Teyuto's white-label solutions make it easier for healthcare providers to integrate video technology into their existing systems without having to invest in new hardware or software infrastructure.

4. Improved Compliance with GDPR and Data Privacy Rules

Teyuto ensures compliance with all privacy laws by using end-to-end encryption, secure data transfer protocols, a private content delivery network, limited digital access rights management (DRM) options, customized user permissions, etc., guaranteeing the highest levels of security and confidentiality possible.

5. Streamlined Video Content Management

Teyuto's video CMS lets you create and manage your entire video library with ease. Video content management tasks such as uploading, editing, sharing, analyzing performance metrics of videos can be done within a few clicks.

Moreover, Teyuto also offers industry-specific features for healthcare providers that include in-video quizzes to gauge patient understanding or even event reminders (via emails and push notifications) to encourage adherence to treatment plans.

6. Revenue Generation

Teyuto offers healthcare providers multiple monetization options, such as subscriptions, transactional videos, and ads. This can help providers generate revenue from their video content, which can be reinvested in improving the quality and quantity of healthcare services.

7. Integrated Healthcare Services

Endless integrations with over 5000+ applications and services (including Appointment Schedulers, Google Analytics, MailChimp, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, etc.) make it easy for healthcare providers to manage their customers effectively, monitor performance, and create a data-driven healthcare experience.

8. White-label Solutions

By offering white-label solutions, Teyuto makes it possible for healthcare providers to offer industry-specific or patient-centric video technology integrated into their existing websites and mobile apps. This helps in boosting brand recognition, increasing customer loyalty and retention rates.

Teyuto empowers healthcare providers to brand their video players with their own logos, colors, and design elements. This can help them establish their brand identity, improve patient trust, and differentiate their services from their competitors.

9. Screen recording, sharing and presentations via Clip

Teyuto's screen recorder, Teyuto Clip, is a handy tool for healthcare providers to record their screens (including the webcam) and either save those recordings as videos or share them instantly with trainees, caregivers, patients, or partners.

This is also useful when it comes to live-streaming content that requires demonstrations of medical procedures or device usage. It allows you to highlight important points on screen with annotations that a viewer can then watch any time!

In a nutshell, Teyuto helps healthcare providers improve their efficiency, enhance patient engagement and satisfaction, reduce costs, streamline operations, generate revenue from video content, and offer a wide range of industry-specific as well as personalized solutions.

To wrap it up…

With the massive success of telemedicine amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, telemedicine became more popular than it was previously imagined. During this ongoing crisis, we, at Teyuto, have witnessed several medical institutions come forward

(a) either with new or enhanced existing websites/apps offering live & on-demand videos featuring doctors' consultations or even courses related to health information;

(b) training sessions for students pursuing medicine by providing them access to lectures taking place across different universities globally;

(c) holding live video sessions where doctors overview the hospital's safety standards and key services offered;

(d) raising awareness about various ailments and their diagnosis by providing relevant tips, videos, etc.

Teyuto empowers medical institutions to enhance their patient engagement via live consultations during the pandemic while delivering them an outstanding user experience across devices with high video quality at low latency even when there is a surge in traffic.

To know more, contact us now.

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Marcello Violini
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