Using telemedicine to strengthen doctor-patient relationship!

Advances in areas of information and communication technology have always impacted healthcare. One of the examples we see of this, during the COVID-19 pandemic is the use of telemedicine to its maximum capability. Earlier it was used to connect healthcare providers and healthcare seekers who are separated due to geographical distance. However, these days tele-medicine is used to connect to patients residing in the same geographical region, albeit to keep them safe at their home.

Building relationships – a basic groundwork

Doctor-patient relationship plays a key role in the practice of medicine. It remains as a fundamental factor on which the entire health-care system is hinged on. In fact, the quality of the patient care is determined by the strength of the relationship. A positive patient-doctor relationship is always essential to maintain a good rapport between each other in a long run. A doctor who has knowledge about the patient’s history, lifestyle and behavioral psychology holds a better chance to deliver tailored care to the patient. This in turn increases patient satisfaction and imparts the trust in patient, which is essential for good patient outcomes. 

How telemedicine can come into action in this frame?

In-person visits are vital for developing doctor-patient relationships. Telemedicine may not completely replace the in-person care, but it can well supplement the process of enhancing doctor-patient relationship in a number of ways. 

One of the major benefits is that telemedicine minimizes the distance between the health care providers and their patient. This could prove to be double sided benefit both for doctors and patients. For patients, the access to healthcare is always at their fingertips. They can also avoid commuting and long waiting times through quick access to the information they need by logging on to their smart phones or computers. The concern about managing appointments is now an easy task for doctors. 

Many patients who earlier complained of the doctors spending very little time with them during consultations, are now happy with tele-consultation, where they get the doctor’s undivided attention for the scheduled time.

Telemedicine can also be used as a tool to improve the fragmented care delivery. This can be achieved through using convenient ways for interaction such as video conferencing thereby providing enhancing continuity of support and convenience.  In fact telemedicine is changing the way of approach for maintaining doctor-patient relationship. It helps to improve communication and reduce rate of missed appointments and many physicians are envisioning telemedicine as tool to address the gap between doctors and patients. 

Telemedicine- Bridging the gap between the doctor and patient

Telemedicine is an evolving health technology. The rapid progress in their quality, accessibility and acceptance can make a potential difference in building relationships between patients and physicians. Examples of such technologies include telephone, audio/video conferencing, and an interactive robotic or continuous monitoring device, of which videoconferencing is gaining importance as a primary modality. 

These tools are now being increasingly used by doctors and patients to keep in touch with each other. Doctors can stay abreast about their patient’s condition and can also send reminders or updates about their treatment in real-time, thus building-up confidence in patients. Virtual appointments are also helping to maintain continuity of care with respect to chronic conditions like type II diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and hypertension. Through telemedicine, physicians can perform visual assessment similar to that of in-patient visits. They are able to check mobility, skin tone, breathing, speech clarity. Indeed, the latest software developments in telemedicine are designed to replicate the in-patient settings. Patient reliability is greatly enhanced with such advancements where the diagnosis is made possible with the same accuracy and precision as with in-person visit. People who may be hesitant to approach the doctor for common conditions like common-cold, flu, rashes or pains can now be prompted to utilize these services for better health outcomes.

All in all, telemedicine will continue to shape the relationship between doctors and patients in a way through increasing the interaction rates, thereby building trust. Ease of coordination, better accessibility and patient satisfactions are the main driving factors of telemedicine that helps to improve patient-doctor relationship. It may not completely replace the traditional practice, but it is definitely a critical tool to perfect it.  

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