Seniors Embrace Telehealth During the Pandemic and Beyond

Telehealth has been essential throughout the COVID pandemic. Providers everywhere embraced telemedicine software and technology to continue caring for patients. Senior patients are considered high-risk during the pandemic and need extra safety measures to avoid the coronavirus. In order to stay safe, many seniors have turned to telehealth. With many senior citizens experiencing one or more chronic conditions, frequent medical attention is necessary. Telehealth technology is helping them to continue getting the care they depend on during the pandemic.

How Telehealth is helping Seniors:

Increased Medicare Coverage

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they would cover a wide variety of telehealth services during the pandemic in an effort to keep patients safe. This made it possible for seniors to start using telehealth as an affordable care option. What has happened as a result is that seniors are enjoying an option for a virtual visit to or in-person visit. It keeps them home during a time where their health is at a higher risk and allows them to keep getting important care from their healthcare providers. Increased coverage made it possible for seniors to finally utilize a tool they were previously not eligible to use on a regular basis.

Access to Remote Care

Remote care as an extension of telehealth services has proven useful to seniors during the pandemic. Remote patient care makes it possible for patients to receive some aspects of their medical care from their home or residency. Remote patient monitoring technology collects medical data from patients in one location and sends it directly and securely to their providers. It cuts down on the number of visits that seniors have to attend in-person while still giving providers the valuable data they need.

Decreased Travel Requirements

With access to remote care and virtual visits, telehealth decreases travel burden for seniors. For senior patients, traveling to and from appointments can be extremely difficult – auto availability, weather, or having someone to take them. Keeping track of all these details or finding a loved one or help to get you to and from these places is exhausting and unnecessary. Telehealth decreases the amount of time patients have to spend traveling by making it possible for them to get important care, testing, and treatment from home. It also helps if family doesn’t live close and can’t attend appointments. HIPAA-compliant telehealth software allows multiple people to be on a call no matter their location. 

Low-Risk Care

Not only seniors, but many folks chose not to see their provider at all during the pandemic for regular appointments and check up.  This increased number of chronic diseases and many new conditions went undiagnosed among senior patients. If a patient has to constantly leave their home to attend different appointments, they are increasing their risk of coming into contact with the virus. Telehealth lowers this risk by keeping the patient safe in their home or care setting.

Seniors everywhere are ready to start using telehealth and remote patient care. Allowing them to stay safe during the pandemic while still getting them the quality attention they depend on; telehealth is making a difference. A quality telemedicine solution is an essential component of helping seniors during the pandemic. To learn more about a quality solution that could help your practice, click here.

iSalus offers the newest solution for practices looking to engage in the fastest growing segment in the healthcare industry, telehealth. AnywhereCare is a fully integrated telehealth solution that allows your practice to offer virtual visits to patients that need access to more convenient care.