An Introduction to Pediatric Telehealth
In the last few years, the practical applications of telehealth for everyday users have exploded. While telemedicine can’t replace every visit, the ease of access to both patients and providers is a massive improvement.
For many parents, taking their child to the doctor can be an ordeal. Who wants to deal with a sick toddler’s meltdown in the middle of a waiting room? And when was the last time your kiddo stuck to the office hours of 9 am to 5 pm when they got sick?
Telemedicine for pediatrics can connect patients, their caregivers, and healthcare providers by providing quality care through a virtual visit. In addition, including more telemedicine services gives healthcare providers increased flexibility and power with their practice and the care they can provide patients.
Check: Telehealth App Development
The Benefits of Telemedicine in Pediatrics
As a parent or provider, you may have reservations about utilizing telemedicine resources to replace in-office visits. Let’s look at the benefits that telemedicine can bring to pediatrics and some practical applications.
Flexibility and Increased Access
All you need to have a telehealth visit is a computer or mobile device and a reliable internet connection. Not having to travel to get to a doctor’s visit means that practices are able to expand their reach. Patients in rural communities can utilize video visits to treat conditions that they may not have otherwise seen a doctor for.
Additionally, live captioning and interpreter services are still accessible with telemedicine visits. This can reduce the costs involved with having in-person interpreters. Additionally, having easier access to interpreter services means better outcomes for patients. Using professional services also removes untrained interpreters and the risk they pose to both the patient and healthcare providers.
Comfort and Convenience
Instead of pulling children out of school, taking time off of work, and traveling to and from an office, telemedicine for pediatrics means that patients can receive virtual care from the comfort of their homes. Through a video visit using a telemedicine app, providers are not only able to have more flexibility in how many patients they see, but patients can also worry less about exposure to others.
Another great advantage of telehealth services is the flexibility it provides in terms of scheduling. Because you can have a telehealth visit anywhere a patient has a stable internet connection, they are able to receive quality virtual care from the comfort of their home using a mobile device or computer.
In addition, various telehealth services allow for clinics to utilize asynchronous communication with patients. For everyone involved, time is an important factor to consider in deciding between an in-office visit compared to utilizing telemedicine services. Using an asynchronous service, parents can enter information about their child’s symptoms at their convenience, and a board-certified provider can review and respond with a treatment plan and next steps for additional care.
Check: Telemedicine In Rural Areas Guide
Better Assessment
In a 2021 analysis of various studies published regarding the feasibility of telemedicine services for pediatric patients, telemedicine services were found to be on par with or better than in-person health care. The analysis of telemedicine services studied includes:
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Videoconferencing visits
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Telephone counseling
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Telemedicine screening visits
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Smartphone-based interventions
Across a wide range of conditions, including minor illnesses, chronic conditions, and ADHD, patients noted positive outcomes measured by the quality of life, medication regimen adherence, visit completion rates, and symptom management.
While there is still further research to be done, it’s clear that telemedicine services are effective methods of treating the same conditions that pediatric providers are already treating with in-person visits.
Increased Safety
Using a virtual waiting room is another easy step to incorporate telehealth tools into office visits. When a patient has scheduled an in-office visit, they can check in virtually from home, while heading to the clinic, or even while waiting outside in the parking lot! Patients no longer have to wait in crowded waiting rooms, and providers no longer have to manually check in patients while juggling a waiting list – saving both time and effort for clinic staff.
Using a telemedicine service in pediatrics also reduces the risk of spreading communicable diseases by reducing the amount of exposure between patients. Keeping kids home for doctors’ office visits also means keeping kids out of classrooms – another removed disease vector!
Direct Support
Despite its shortcomings, telemedicine can be comparable and sometimes even beneficial to an on-site visit. Utilizing these services gives patients and their families easier, reliable access to their healthcare providers. The increased flexibility of telemedicine services means that providers can have better connections with their patients.
When to Use Telemedicine
While telemedicine services have become more advanced and present in pediatrics, it still doesn’t replace every in-person visit.
Do you need a physical exam that isn’t telemedicine visit-friendly? You’ll need to head into the office to see a provider in person. In addition, newborns should have most, if not all, of their visits in person until they’re older.
If your child’s illness requires any testing for a diagnosis, including the ever-present strep throat or ear infection, you’ll need to make an appointment with your pediatrician in person.
As always – if you think your child needs urgent or emergency care, do not hesitate to take your child to an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Virtual visits do not replace in-person care for emergencies.
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How Geneca can Help You
Here at Geneca, we have over 20 years of experience in custom software development and believe in transparent client partnerships, allowing the client to stay well-informed at every step. By working with us, you can have access to a team of developers and analysts with thorough experience in the healthcare industry. Reach out to Geneca today to get started on your telemedicine platform for pediatrics!