Telehealth started out as a lifeline in the midst of the pandemic but has now become a key part of standard healthcare delivery worldwide.
Many people believe it will ultimately resolve the issue of fragmentation in healthcare, although there is some way to go before that goal is achieved.
There is currently a lack of coordination among different healthcare providers, services and technologies when it comes to patient care.
Fragmentation can result in incomplete patient records, missed or conflicting diagnoses, and duplicate services. It can also lead to extra administrative work and higher costs for organisations.
Telehealth has the potential to reduce fragmentation in the health sector.
Making Patients Take More responsibility for Their Own Care
For any healthcare system to function seamlessly, patients must take some form of responsibility for their own wellbeing. That is where the traditional system falters.
Healthcare delivery often leaves patients feeling like passive recipients of care. There needs to be a follow-up component, but that is the part traditional systems do not typically pay attention to.
Most of the time, the message being passed across to patients is not clear enough. That is where telehealth can be effective. Telehealth platforms have features that ensure patients are hands-on with the quality of care they receive.
They offer extraordinary value through automated or prompted follow-ups that help to keep track of a patient’s wellbeing and how to move forward with appropriate care.
Many telehealth platforms also have educational resources that teach patients about their diagnosis or treatment plan. This is particularly important for patients living in remote regions where there’s little or no access to in-person healthcare. Australia is a prime example.
People who live in remote regions in Australia have trouble accessing equitable healthcare, so telehealth services have become an invaluable lifeline.
Platforms such as InstantScripts are pioneering the movement. This unbiased InstantScripts review on Medicompare shows that it is one of the largest and most used telehealth platforms in Australia.
It is playing a crucial role in bridging the divide, giving patients a way to interact with healthcare professionals virtually without spending hours looking for in-person guidance.
Calling for a Unified System Across the Board
Getting different electronic systems to talk to one another has been a prevalent issue in healthcare.
Many in-person care providers still use electronic health record (EHR) systems that struggle to synchronise with telehealth platforms.
That leaves crucial information about patients scattered across several systems rather than a central record. The inability to synchronise these records leaves telehealth and normal healthcare services at odds.
It means notes, diagnostic results and prescriptions acquired from a virtual care provider cannot be relayed to a hospital and vice versa.
That causes plenty of problems on both sides. Avoidable issues such as duplicated tests, conflicting treatment plans, and clinical errors become a huge problem, more for the patient than the providers.
And let’s not forget the administrative burden placed on healthcare workers, many of whom are already facing unprecedented levels of burnout. Fortunately, telehealth is taking the initiative to sort out the problem.
The American Telehealth Association has been pushing for a unified system that encourages solution developers, providers and payers to work together.
The goal is to address some of the technical gaps between these systems and adopt telehealth software standards, shared data practices and governance.
Australia has also introduced a national digital health record platform called My Health Record, and several telehealth providers, including InstantScripts, are tapping into the system.
Aligning Protocols and Evidence-Based Care Across the Board
Another way telehealth can reduce fragmentation is by reinforcing a unified standard of care.
Patients usually bounce between providers in a fragmented system. These providers each have their own style, approach and means of interpreting clinical guidelines.
If there was a unified system, this would not be a problem. But a fragmented system undermines round-the-clock treatment and could thwart positive results that may have been on the cards.
Telehealth providers are in a decent position to standardise clinical decision-making across the board by virtue of working within digital platforms.
They can use evidence-based clinical protocols to make sure every patient gets the best possible care, regardless of which provider they patronise.
This is important for telehealth organisations with a large workforce. Many of them may even be independent contractors.
Without a unified system, there is always a risk that providers who go about their own business would be contributing further to an already fragmented healthcare system.
A standardised system works in favour of both the patients and the providers.
When doctors, nurses and support staff operate in a synced system, it makes them more efficient and reduces the risk of miscommunication and duplication.
It also improves workflow and makes them more reliable when delivering healthcare.
