Managing diabetes is already difficult as it is a chronic illness but is made even more so due to the ensuing pandemic. COVID-19 has caused many healthcare professionals to rethink how they conduct their practice for patients that require remote long-term care. Telehealth has been continuing to play a larger role between patients and physicians in the treatment of diabetes for many years now.
As far back as 2009, the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology published on the emerging use of telemedicine and its advantages to support the treatment of diabetes. But, even now in 2020 there are 422 million people worldwide suffering from diabetes. Within the US alone, 34.2 million Americans – just over 1 in 10 – are suffering from diabetes which can require daily management.
As a well-known ailment, many diabetes patients have access to basic remote medical devices that allows them to check their blood glucose levels and blood pressure. However, it is not rare that complications can occur where they may want to have access to a physician. Some cases of diabetes even require frequent follow-ups with physicians. But what if the patient lives in a rural area, hours away from physician access? They can’t be expected to always be able to make a trip for their appointment. Telehealth allows them to have a status check-up more conveniently. Using a telehealth platform, you can have the information necessary to decide your course of action for patients readily available and all in one place including:
- Physiological data (glucose levels, blood pressure)
- Laboratory test data (hemoglobin A1c, lipid levels)
- Behavioral information (dietary charts, exercise, lifestyle)
- Medication (Prescription history, Medical history, allergies)
- Subjective Symptoms
- Event data (hospitalizations, vaccinations, missed clinical appointments)
- Imagery
With this information at your fingertips, healthcare providers can create plans, prescribe medication, or even make referrals at a lower cost of time and money for both, the patient and provider. For telehealth solutions to tackle the care required for managing diabetes, it not only needs healthcare functions but social services as well to help manage the patient’s changing needs. This is where Global Telehealth Exchange (GTHE) comes in. The GTHE is a solution that allows providers to practice telehealth in an efficient and secure way. GTHE has built-in functions to assist in the continuity of care required to manage diabetes such as the “How Are You Feeling Today” (HAYFT) cards. Using HAYFT cards can make it easy for physicians to check in frequently with their patients.
With GTHE, physicians can easily add their patients into Care.Groups based on their conditions and severity, making it simple to determine if and how often to send HAYFT cards to their patients in a timely manner. All these factors can assist in automating your calendar to follow up with your patients using this card. HAYFT cards can be configured to be personalized and include a feedback form, quick changes to their nutrition, and other pertinent medical advice. GTHE can offer many benefits such as:
- Instant reimbursement
- Top level data security
- Cross-border treatments
- No additional paperwork, and in most cases eliminates it all together
- Full control over your rates, availability and schedule
- No monthly or annual subscription fee
- No contract commitments
GTHE puts the joy back into practicing medicine. Providers can connect with their patients seamlessly and provide a better remote standard of care with GTHE. If you’d like access to global patients and expand your medical practice without investing in expensive software, visit the GTHE website and sign up today.
