Telemedicine for Doctors on Call
With the advance in digital technology and improvements in computing hardware, businesses across all sectors are able to reach customers and clients more effectively than ever before. While in-person visits and face-to-face meetings will always have a role to play, it's now possible for video conferencing and other solutions to make life easier for businesses and customers alike. In the medical field, however, things are a little different.
Doctors offering telemedicine services provide great convenience to patients, many of whom may have busy schedules or even mobility issues. However, it is not enough to simply offer convenience. Video conferencing in medicine needs to go beyond this, providing diagnostic, counseling, and support services with a high degree of precision and reliability.
Telemedicine and video conferencing will certainly be critical to the future of medical services, but this needs to be supported with HIPAA-compliant video conferencing solutions that can provide patients with what they need. We're going to be looking at the current state of telehealth — and its future — in this article. Read on to discover more.
What Is Telemedicine Video Conferencing?
Telemedicine video conferencing is the use of telecom technology such as live video to deliver medical services and guidance. In the most basic sense, this involves setting up a video call between the doctor and the patient. Across this video call, the doctor and the patient will discuss the latter's condition, as well as any diagnosis, prognosis, or other information. Effectively, it is the same as an in-person meeting with a doctor but handled remotely via a video link.
Advantages of Video Conferencing Over Other Types of Telemedicine
Of course, this is just one definition of telemedicine. Doctors may use other methods to get in touch with patients, such as a telehealth phone call. Doctors have been using telephones to connect with patients for over a century, but video conferencing offers numerous advantages.
Firstly, the patient can see the doctor, and this fosters a closer connection between the two. This is certainly important in instances when the patient may be feeling isolated or disconnected. Secondly, the doctor can see the patient, enabling them to provide more accurate diagnostic services than they would be able to down a standard phone line.
Telemedicine services may also be used to deliver resources to the patient. This might include visual graphics and images that help patients with certain rehabilitation methods or treatment concepts. It may also cover things like prescriptions or other pieces of important medical documentation. Documents can be delivered by email, by instant message, or via another channel, enhancing the remote and flexible aspects of this type of medical treatment.
What Do Doctors Use for Video Calls?
While telehealth can be delivered via a video call or a phone call, video conferencing provides advantages that a standard phone call simply cannot achieve. As a result, it's always a good idea for doctors to invest in video conferencing platforms as they enhance the experience they provide to patients. But what are doctors using for these video calls?
Basically, doctors need the following pieces of equipment as they build their telemedicine setup.
A computing device
This is the main hardware you will need to carry out your video calls to patients. Whether you are using a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone device or a tablet computer, you will need to make sure that you have up-to-date anti-malware and anti-virus software installed and in operation. As you will be handling patient data and sensitive information, this is a very important step for remaining HIPAA compliant.
A microphone
You'll need some way to deliver audio communication to your patient. In many cases, your device will have a microphone already built in — this will be true of almost all smartphone devices and many laptop, desktop, or tablet computers. If you do not have a microphone built into your device, you may need to purchase an external mic. Make sure the microphone is compatible with your hardware, and test it thoroughly beforehand.
A camera
Like with the microphone, your device may already have a camera built-in. While you can provide limited telehealth services via an audio connection, the camera provides an important visual element that will enhance the telemedicine services you offer. If you do not have a camera already built into your device, install and test an external camera before you begin.
An internet connection
When carrying out video conferencing, doctors need to be able to rely on their internet connection. If your connection fails mid-appointment, this could cause serious disruption and even distress for your patient. If you will be providing telemedicine services from your office, make sure your Wi-Fi connection is reliable. If you will be carrying out these services on the move, make sure your mobile internet is fast and reliable enough to handle video conferencing. 10 Mbps of download speed and 1 Mbps upload speed is generally considered the minimum speed required for effective video calling.
A telemedicine platform
This is a critical aspect of your telehealth setup — you need a telemedicine software platform. You may already have video conferencing apps or software installed on your devices, like Zoom or Skype. While you technically could use this software to deliver your telemedicine services, they may not be suitable for doctors. This is because many commercially available video conferencing apps are not approved by HIPAA.
While some products from Zoom, Skype, and other providers are approved by HIPAA, it is still worth investing in a dedicated telehealth platform. A telemedicine platform is designed specifically for the purpose and includes security and privacy features that keep patient data safe. It also provides capabilities that make patient care straightforward and effective. Double-check that the solution you are using is approved by HIPAA and supports all the features you and your patients need.
Supporting Patients with Telemedicine
It's important to remember that telemedicine is a two-way process. While you will certainly need all of the above equipment to provide telehealth services, you will also need to ensure that your patients have everything they need to get the best out of these services.
Generally, internet speeds are fast across the United States. In 2019, users were enjoying connections at almost double the global average speed. What's more, smartphone penetration across the USA hit 85% in February 2021, after years of steady growth. This means most American patients have the internet connection and the hardware required to get the best from telehealth services.
The telemedicine and video conferencing platform represents a slight obstacle. You will need to make sure that your patients are using the same platform that you are using. This will support reliable calls and conferences while also keeping all your patient's information together on a single account. You may need to offer assistance and guidance to your patients as they set up their software.
Remember that telemedicine requires a little more tech understanding than a more traditional doctor's visit. While telemedicine platforms and hardware are generally intuitive and easy to use, some patients may have difficulties. This is especially the case if you are providing services to elderly patients. Be sure to support and advise your patients whenever possible so that their experience remains positive and beneficial.
Is Telemedicine HIPAA Compliant?
HIPAA compliance is a critical consideration for all healthcare providers. Doctors and other medical professionals need to make sure that all of their services meet HIPAA requirements. Failure to do so could result in fines and other penalties. This is why it is so important to know whether or not your telemedicine platform is HIPAA compliant.
Many telemedicine platforms and video conferencing solutions are HIPAA compliant and have been passed for medical use.
Updated Guidelines for Non-Dedicated Platforms
Under updated guidelines, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing services may be extended to cover other video call platforms that are not specifically designed for telemedicine. These include the following:
Apple FaceTime
Facebook Messenger video chat
Google Hangouts video
Zoom
Skype
However, there are some caveats to using these general services. Under HIPAA regulation, healthcare providers must notify their patients about the potential risks of these common video conferencing tools. Providers are also required to utilize privacy and encryption solutions to protect patient information.
Even with these privacy solutions in place, many patients may not feel comfortable using tools like FaceTime or Google Hangouts for medical services, and the patient experience may be harmed as a result. It is also important to remember that these platforms are not designed for telemedicine and so may lack many of the features that doctors need to provide effective services.
Non-Compliant Telemedicine Platforms
Doctors are not permitted to use the following for their telemedicine services:
Facebook Live
Twitch
TikTok
Cost of Telemedicine Visits
A telemedicine visit should be more cost-effective than a standard doctor's visit. There are no travel costs to consider, and doctors can provide services more efficiently without worrying about downtime between visits. However, there are other costs to consider.
You will need to pay for the subscription to your telemedicine platform. You will also need to pay ongoing internet connection costs. You may also need to upgrade your hardware to support video conferencing, but this will be a one-off cost, and the solution's savings should cover this outlay in time.
Limiting costs is important to doctors and patients alike. Patients may not want to make an insurance claim for something like a doctor's visit, so they will be looking to keep costs low where possible. This may make telemedicine visits a popular option, as a 2017 study found that the average telehealth visit was roughly half of the cost of a traditional doctor's visit.
Telemedicine Is the Future of Healthcare
As HIPAA extends its list of approved telemedicine platforms, the message is clear: the benefits of telehealth and video conferencing are significant, and an increasing number of platforms are able to offer the safety, security, and effective treatment that patients truly need. In other words, telemedicine and video conferencing represent the future of healthcare.
Do you want to learn more about the best telemedicine and video conferencing hardware for your practice? Check out our resources page and build your knowledge of this exciting field of medicine.