What Is Telehealth?

Telehealth describes the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical healthcare, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. There are various types of telehealth technologies benefitting providers, healthcare organizations, and patients.

(Telehealth services definition from The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

A complete telehealth strategy must incorporate multiple types of telehealth technology services acting as a complete and comprehensive solution. When asking ‘What is telehealth?’, the answer includes an array of solutions that improve the delivery of healthcare for healthcare stakeholders, patients, and our communities.

Types of Telehealth

There are several types of telehealth solutions on the market, including mHealth (or mobile health), video and audio technologies, digital photography, remote patient monitoring (RPM), and store and forward telehealth technology (commonly referred to as asynchronous telehealth) or eConsults.

Telehealth solutions can help address specialist shortages, increase patient engagement and satisfaction and enable improved provider communication, education, and satisfaction.

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Live (Synchronous) Video Conferencing

Two-way audiovisual (teleconferencing) link between a patient and a care provider

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Store-and-Forward Telehealth (or Asynchronous Telehealth) Technology

Documented transmission of a recorded health history to a health practitioner, usually a specialist, via secure messaging platform

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Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

The use of connected electronic tools to record personal health and medical data in one location for review by a provider in another location, usually at a different time

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Mobile Health (mHealth)

Healthcare and public health information provided through mobile devices. The information may include general educational information, targeted texts, and notifications about disease outbreaks

What’s the difference between telehealth and telemedicine?

When diving into the question of “What is telehealth?”, or “What is telehealthcare?”, it’s essential to understand the difference, and crossover, between telehealth and telemedicine.

On the surface, telehealth vs. telemedicine are terms that seem similar, if not the same. Indeed, these terms are often used interchangeably, including by such major organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

Although these terms can be used fluidly, they can also be distinct.

Telehealth often covers a broad scope of health-related services across many health disciplines, including dentistry, counseling, physical therapy, and other health domains.
On the other hand, telemedicine tends to refer specifically to clinical applications of technology (diagnosis, consultation, monitoring) used by physicians only.

Telehealth is a broad term, defined as the delivery and facilitation of health and health-related services including medical care, provider and patient education, health information services, and self-care via telecommunications and digital communication technologies. The definition of telehealth services can refer not just to remote clinical and telemedicine services, but also types of telehealth that include non-clinical offerings such as training, meetings, consumer/professional education, and more.

What are the Benefits of Telehealth?

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Improves access to necessary care

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Increases patient satisfaction and patient health outcomes

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Decreases healthcare cost

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Better manages “right time, right place, right provider care”

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Reduces specialist and impacted physician visit wait times

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Increases provider scope and satisfaction

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Reduces hospital admissions and readmissions

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Alleviates the effects of physician shortages

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Facilitates increased patient engagement

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Often reduces cost burden for patients

Learn more about our eConsult platform and how easy it is to get started!

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How to Get Started With Telehealth?

AristaMD is a telehealth organization providing an innovative store-and forward, asynchronous telehealth platform. Our eConsult solution enables primary care physicians to collaborate with a national panel of top telehealth specialists on patient care plans—within 24 hours. AristaMD’s eConsult platform consistently replaces the need for more than 70 percent of in-person specialty visits and significantly influences care plans >90 percent of the time.

Empowering PCPs to treat low acuity patients with the guidance of a virtual specialist, via telehealth solution, avoids unnecessary in-person referrals and improves patient wait times while improving health system quality metrics and patient satisfaction.

With AristaMD, adopting an eConsult solution is simple and can be done quickly. Designed to seamlessly integrate into clinical workflows, the platform allows payers and providers to quickly and cost-effectively launch specialist eConsults.

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