Healthcare Trends in the United States of America
Over the recent past, the US. has been experiencing a myriad of advancements in the health care sector such as the witnessed increase in the use of telemedicine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), telemedicine refers to the utilization of information technology that mainly relies on internet connectivity for timely access to healthcare services. The use of telemedicine has been particularly significant during the Covid-19 outbreak because it facilitates the decrease of personal contact between healthcare providers and the general population (Chaet et al., 2017). Therefore, this post sheds light on the way telemedicine is trending in the nation while describing the three major implications it has on the financial planning within any healthcare institution.
The first implication of financial planning that telemedicine has is that it reduces hospital records maintenance costs. Additionally, there is a reduced need for human resources in keeping the records hence lowering the costs of operation in the hospital (Klaassen, van Beijnum & Hermens, 2016). Telemedicine makes it possible to carry out shared staffing thereby reducing the cost of employing more workers. Furthermore, using a variety of available real-time communication options gives clients the option of choosing to consult a doctor who may then encourage the patient on medication adherence or conduct necessary follow-ups. This factor eliminates the need for physical relocation by not only medical workers but also patients, therefore, reducing general transportation costs. Lastly, telemedicine has also led to expanded coverage of healthcare at a lower cost. Patients in remote areas can easily reach physicians at the touch of a button all thanks to inbuilt geographical features in telemedicine services. Young people especially the youth who are into the use of information technology are easily reached in emergency cases such as when tempted to commit suicide hence notifications for help can be instantly made.
References
Chaet, D., Clearfield, R., Sabin, J. E., Skimming, K., & Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs American Medical Association (2017). Ethical practice in Telehealth and Telemedicine. Journal of general internal medicine, 32(10), 1136–1140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-017-4082-2
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (2020, September 15). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/global-covid-19/telemedicine.html
Klaassen, B., van Beijnum, B. J., & Hermens, H. J. (2016). Usability in telemedicine systems-A literature survey. International journal of medical informatics, 93, 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2016.06.004