The platform where patients connect with doctors virtually with the help of telecommunications for their treatment is known as telemedicine. Telemedicine works differently for different patients. There are many ways telemedicine performs for different patients. The same method will not apply to every patient. Doctors suggest patients after looking at their condition. It creates lots of confusion for patients, which creates many myths around it.
To clear this confusion and eliminate these myths, here we are. In the blog, we are going to debunk the myths of telemedicine that revolve around it.
Top Telemedicine Myths
The following are some telemedicine myths that should be Debunked-
1. Telemedicine diagnosis is insufficient for medical treatment.
We are not too familiar with telemedicine. People are habitual of physical treatment. They think without a physical diagnosis, the report will be inaccurate. They have confusion that a doctor is required physically for every treatment. But it is not the truth. You can have your treatment without physical contact with doctors. From a simple cold to asthma, a fever to strep throat, telemedicine experts are fully prepared to assist and diagnose anything. Telemedicine can be utilized to treat diabetics as well as high blood pressure, despite the misconception that it is primarily intended for urgent care visits. Because of this myth, you might not be able to fully benefit from telemedicine and how it can take care of the majority of your healthcare issues.
2. Real doctors are not used in telemedicine.
As we mentioned before, people are not fully familiar with telemedicine. It obviously creates doubts in them regarding telemedicine. They think that the doctor who connects with you via video call is not real. But this is not true. The doctor who connects with you via video conference is fully certified and educated to treat your treatment. To make sure you are receiving the greatest care and are happy with the progress, they follow up with you in the appropriate manner. To make sure that the treatment will be effective with any present medical conditions you may have, they may also examine your vital signs, such as sending you heart-rate monitors. Their top priority is keeping you secure.
After using telemedicine, people fully eliminate their primary doctors. Here is a suggestion for you. You shouldn’t use a telemedicine doctor in place of your main care provider. You can get access to a doctor for practically any medical situation by having a primary care physician as well as telemedicine, which can boost the quality of your healthcare. To address medical concerns that your telemedicine doctor does not address, schedule a visit with your primary care physician.
3. Medication cannot be prescribed by a doctor online.
Confusion is the main reason to create a myth around anything. The next myth about telemedicine is that virtual doctors cannot prescribe medication. It is not true. The online doctors are fully trained, educated, and certified to prescribe you medicines. They know when and which medicines should be prescribed to you after your health examination. You need only keep a little on them.
4. People are only eligible for telemedicine services if they don’t have rapid access to a clinic or hospital.
Let’s come to the next myth. The next myth is that people are only eligible for telemedicine services if they don’t have rapid access to a clinic or hospital. It is totally false. People can use telemedicine in every situation from anywhere. But it is true that for people who are not able to connect with proper healthcare, telemedicine is beneficial for them, especially for people in rural areas. There is no restriction on who can use telemedicine to access 24-hour treatment, so you have this option. No longer would you need to wait until the next morning to visit the walk-in clinic to obtain advice on that persistent cough, and neither would you need to wait until you return from vacation to fill your prescription.
5. It is too expensive.
You cannot know the truth of anything until you face or use it. The same happens with telemedicine. The next myth of telemedicine is that people think it is too expensive. It is not true. Telemedicine cost is much cheaper than traditional treatment. It eliminates all the extra expenses you face while traditional treatment like parking, traveling expenses, food, hotel, etc. You can receive your treatment at your home or other places where you feel comfortable. You don’t need to go to hospitals which directly eliminates all your additional expenses. To use it, you only need a smartphone which is easily available to anyone nowadays.
6. The information of patients is not secure.
People think patients’ information is not secure in telemedicine, which is not true. It is more secure than traditional. Only doctors and patients can access healthcare information. Telemedicine is protected by HIPAA policies which give you the security of your information. So, don’t worry about it.
7. Patients don’t have options to choose their doctor.
It is false that patients don’t have options to choose their doctor in telemedicine. Telemedicine gives you various options of doctors for patients with different diseases. You can choose them after visiting their profile and reviews. Telemedicine gives a list of certified and experienced doctors for your treatment.
8. The insurance policy won’t cover it.
It depends on where you live. You have to research whether it covers your insurance or not. But in most places, telemedicine is covered under the insurance policy. It is a growing business, and people recognize it as in-person doctor visits.
9. To get good care, patients need to get a physical examination.
We already mentioned to you that doctors don’t need to treat you physically. They treat your diseases virtually. But it does not mean that it will affect your treatment quality. You will receive the same quality as traditional. Each doctor adheres to a set methodology to guarantee that, following a phone or video chat session, they give you a clear diagnosis and sensible advice.
10. Time limit is restricted in telemedicine.
It is not true. Patients get proper time to discuss with their doctors in telemedicine. Doctors end the meeting after you want to end. They hear your health problems until you end. So don’t worry about time restrictions in telemedicine.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed the top myths that revolve around telemedicine. We try to debunk all these myths.
