Everyone should have the ability to deliver or access healthcare without restriction. Unfortunately, for many healthcare providers and patients, especially vulnerable patients, this is not the case. And the pandemic has only added to the challenges of treating elderly and frail individuals.
We have seen greater adoption of telehealth for continued care since the pandemic. But it has actually been a healthcare tool for many years now. Today, it has evolved to becoming a valuable component of community-based care for chronic conditions and more. It offers:
- Improved access
- Continuity of care
- Improved care outcomes
- Family caregivers’ support
- Lower costs – for providers and patients
Providers can deliver a wide range of telehealth services including palliative care. Vulnerable elderly patients generally suffer from many health issues such as chronic disease or significant disabilities. Also, it can be difficult for family caregivers to manage due to a lack of available coordinated care. Planning for the care of people with complex chronic conditions reveals many challenges. All of which are a strain on the patient, families, and the healthcare system. To make matters worse, the number of frail older adults with functional and cognitive impairments who require assistance is only increasing. Globally, the population aged 65 and over is growing faster than all other age groups.
Elderly patients have two main hurdles in today’s digital world. Their generation was not part of the computer age and they struggle to use certain technologies. This is largely due to a lack of understanding of how a computer or smart technology works as well as personal data vulnerability and fear of the unknown. Dealing with the technological requirements of telehealth visits is the primary challenge for older patients.
This is why it’s important for telehealth solutions to offer a user-friendly interface with simple to follow workflows. Providing higher-quality and more cost-effective care for older adults with complex conditions requires an intelligent framework. Effective telehealth models must integrate healthcare and social services not just to improve care but also support family caregivers. And above all, healthcare providers will need to encourage their patients to embrace this new way of receiving treatments.
Telehealth can offer a range of benefits for both providers and their patients. It can be a powerful tool to make healthcare easier and more convenient to access. The American Psychological Association posted a great guidance article on providing telehealth to older patients. But not all services offer everything in one smart application.
- This is where Global Telehealth Exchange is the answer. GTHE can be configured to support healthcare providers and their elderly patients by offering:
- Global access to provider services
- Instant reimbursement
- Top-level data security
- No added paperwork
- Dashboard that is easy to use and navigate
- And more
Older patients will find it easy to use and providers can organize patient follow-ups, guidance, and family caregiver support, all in one simple and easy to use dashboard.
GTHE puts the joy back into practicing medicine. Providers can enjoy a seamless workflow with fully automated appointments and instant payments without worrying about security and compliance because GTHE has that covered too. If you’d like access to global patients and expand your medical practice without investing in expensive software, visit Solve.Care’s GTHE hub and sign up today.
