Telemedicine: Examining Beacon Health System for Older Persons - Essay Sample

Introduction

Telemedicine program refers to the provision of medical care at a distance. It involves the use of a variety of applications and services. It utilizes emails, two-way videos, and other modes of telecommunication (Michaud, Zhou, McCarthy, Siahpush & Su, 2018). This paper will focus on an example of a telemedicine program and how it can be useful to older persons trying to decide if it would be of benefit to them.

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An example of a telemedicine program is the Beacon health system that is located in Indiana and Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Beacon is a well-known healthcare group that launched its telemedicine program in the year 2017. The plan was launched in a multi-phased approach. It included the launch of provider-driven telehealth, site to site consults, direct to consumer telehealth services and an employer group strategy. The main reason for this approach was to enable the beacon health system to engage its providers. It also focused on benefiting older adults. The program is cheap compared to those receiving face to face treatment, and it is highly convenient for older persons. The results form the telemedicine program are that there are improved health outcomes, better life quality for the elderly; they are also satisfied with the care. The telemedicine program has a vast spectrum of specialties that includes orthopedics, pediatrics, dermatology, day to day operations as well as primary care. The program is innovative to allow providers to adapt to the telehealth by forming a provider test group.

There are several advantages to using the telemedicine program. The first advantage is that it is more convenient, especially for older adults and easily accessible patient care. Convenience in the healthcare system is crucial in today's healthcare world. Another advantage of the telemedicine program is that it is cost saving. The third advantage is that it extends specialist and referring physician access. It is highly applicable for patients in remote or rural areas as it is quicker and more convenient. It allows specialists to refer patients to physicians they need, regardless of their location (Baker & Stanley, 2018). There is also better patient care, as telemedicine programs offer a patient-centered approach.

There are also several disadvantages to using the telemedicine program. First, it requires technical training and equipment. It is expensive to recruit IT staff and train them and also to buy the equipment (Baker & Stanley, 2018). Another disadvantage is that there is reduced care continuity. It happens in cases where patients require an on-demand telemedicine service. Reduced care continuity decreases care quality. The other disadvantage of telemedicine is that there are less in-person consultations. There is a risk of technical problems related to telehealth. Many patients and doctors hence tend to favor the personal touch that comes with face to face interactions.

In my thoughts, telemedicine has become an essential aspect of medical care. Many medical practitioners are upgrading to incorporate telemedicine in their medical practice. Telemedicine programs are beneficial, especially to older persons, as they are highly convenient and also affordable. The use of remote analysis and monitoring services and storage of data electronically saves on cost. Recent studies have shown that 74% of patients prefer healthcare services that are easily accessible over face to face interactions with health care providers (Michaud et al., 2018). It shows that people are ready to embrace the use of telemedicine programs. Although there are still some few challenges facing the program, it should be used to ensure that patients receive medical care conveniently without the need for regular visits to healthcare centers. The adaptation of the latest telemedicine initiatives can be beneficial to the providers as it lowers healthcare costs, drive up revenues, and practice efficiency. It will also ensure that patients obtain better access to healthcare services. There are a lot of things involved in a telecommunication program from the effective marketing of services to employees and patients to engaging the providers. Many organizations and employers have incorporated the use of telemedicine programs to meet the goals set by the organization.

References

Michaud, T. L., Zhou, J., McCarthy, M. A., Siahpush, M., & Su, D. (2018). Costs of home-based telemedicine programs: a systematic review. International journal of technology assessment in health care, 34(4), 410-418. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-technology-assessment-in-health-care/article/costs-of-homebased-telemedicine-programs-a-systematic-review/EA8232815EB78CFA7AA8CEF5DA2A3910

Baker, J., & Stanley, A. (2018). Telemedicine technology: a review of services, equipment, and other aspects. Current Allergy and asthma reports, 18(11), 60. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11882-018-0814-6