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Telehealth for Older Patients: Why It’s Making a Buzz

Meet John, a 78-year-old retired school teacher. He lives alone and independently in his home, located in Metuchen, New Jersey.

Recently he encountered some health challenges like arthritis and diabetes which made it difficult for him to visit the doctor’s office regularly.

Things were messed up for him until he discovered a healthcare provider who practiced through telemedicine for seniors.

Initially, John was skeptical about virtual care. But after taking a few sessions, he felt the difference. The treatment was good, access was easy and he didn’t need to leave the home.

Like John, many seniors prefer telemedicine & telehealth over in-person visits and are satisfied with the treatment.

2024: The Perfect Year for Telehealth Expansion

The world is aging.

According to UN Report, the population of older people represents one-fifth of the total population in 17 countries.

The report shows the percentage of people who are older than 60, is expected to double between 2015-2050.

This growth in the older population has left healthcare professionals grappling with several challenges.

Providers are looking for solutions in elderly care which are accessible, affordable, and efficient.

Telehealth treatment is the first step in the direction of digital health for elderly patients.

Seniors Shatter Digital Health Stereotypes

Think older adults and technology don’t mix? Think again!

There is a general perception that older adults show very little interest in the digital world as they are most regular to traditional medical care.

But the reality is quite surprising.

People older than 65 are very keen on learning technology to communicate with loved ones, monitor health, entertain themselves and more.

Research shows that more than 89% of older people (>65 years of age) are satisfied with their virtual primary care.

Major Challenges in Digital Health for Elderly Patients

A few bumps in the digital road.

Even though seniors are showing positive signs towards telehealth treatments, certain on-ground challenges need to be addressed by providers.

1. Lack of internet connection and fundamental technologies including desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

2. Lack of digital literacy including accessing emails, searching on Google, and answering video calls.

3. Gradual deterioration in hearing and vision, as well as cognitive abilities in older adults.

4. Unaffordability of assistive technology to make communication with providers.

How Doctors Can Engage Seniors in Telehealth

1. Spread the awareness

Healthcare professionals need to spread the word about telehealth and how it can ease the entire treatment process for seniors.

Tell them, they don’t need to drive themselves to a clinic or hospital during the treatment.

Advise them that through these remote healthcare services, you can monitor their health status 24/7. Your words will bring trust and encourage them to embrace telehealth treatment.

2. Give an application demo

Collect the information about their digital use. If they have a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer with internet, guide them to adopt telehealth applications.

You can also show a demo of how the application works and how they can take the session.

You can walk them through the platform to demonstrate how simple it is to use.

3. Build a supportive network around the patient

Family and friends are the most important people in someone’s life. Their suggestions influence the decisions everyone makes, the same goes for patients.

If a patient hesitates to adopt a new platform, you can talk to his loved ones. Their influence may inspire him to adopt it.

4. Give them time

There is no doubt that a patient trusts the doctor most. But the patient can have their own concerns, as they might feel a little awkward the first time.

You need to have the patience to listen to their hesitations about digital healthcare.

Understand their problem, identify why they are disengaging, and then help them grow through it over time.

Benefits of Telehealth for Elderly Patients

Benefits of Telehealth for Elderly Patients

1. Remote Treatment

There might be many patients who travel a long distance to visit your clinic. Due to the difficulty and lack of transport facilities, office visits bring more struggle to patients’ lives.

Through telehealth & telemedicine apps, seniors can get treatment in the comfort of their homes. It makes healthcare easily accessible.

2. Convenience

For older adults, it’s very difficult to walk or travel long distances to visit the doctor for consultations. Through a telehealth mobile application, patients can get doctor’s appointments, consultations, and early diagnosis of the disease whenever they want.

3. Cost Effective

It saves the patient’s traveling cost to visit the doctor’s office.

4. Frequent Monitoring

Patients can get timely diagnosis and treatment at home comfort through Telehealth. Regular checkups can help patients to manage the disease better.

5. Better Communication

It makes communication better and more frequent between patients and doctors.

Via Telehealth both parties can share and access the information whenever they need.

It bridges the gap between doctor and patient and strengthens the relationship which further helps doctors to give personalized treatment.

Benefits of Telehealth: A Game-Changer for Providers

Benefits of Telehealth A Game-Changer for Providers

1. Remote Healthcare Services

Telehealth enables providers to offer their services to patients located in remote areas.

Through this technology, doctors can create a strong patient base and bring more revenue to their clinic.

2. Improve Clinic Efficiency

Telehealth can streamline the entire paperwork and administrative tasks of the doctor and their team.

Telehealth integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) simplifies documentation and patient management.

It reduces the waiting time for patients, increases patient care and improves the clinic’s efficiency.

3. Reduces Patient No-Shows

There are many times when a patient does not show up even after taking appointments. It impacts the revenue as well as clinic efficiency.

With the support of telehealth, the patient can see the availability of the doctor and book the slot as per his terms.

4. Improve Patient Engagement

Easy access to patient care boosts the engagement between doctor and patient.

They can communicate in real-time with their doctors via video conferences or audio calls.

5. Data-Driven Insights

Telehealth gives you comprehensive data and analytics. It helps you to make a conscious decision. You can expand the services that patients prefer and reduce unnecessary costs.

It helps you make evidence-based decisions while focusing on quality care.

Custom Telehealth Vs. Subscription-Based Platform

Gone are the days when only big hospitals and corporations could afford a healthcare portal to access the patient.

Now you can have your own telehealth platform and become a part of the next-generation healthcare revolution.

But before that, you need to have an in-depth understanding of your requirements and which solution will be suitable for you.

Some healthcare providers take the subscription-based plan from 3rd party solutions, but it has a long list of limitations.

Instead, we recommend you build your own platform that fits your requirements precisely and can be scaled in the future.

Custom Telehealth Vs. Subscription-Based Platform

It clearly shows that building your own telehealth platform is a wise decision. You can make this decision even wiser by choosing the right tech team to be beside you.

That’s why, you should choose SyS Creations as over 100 satisfied clients consider us a perfect partner for developing trustworthy telehealth platforms.

SyS Creations: Your Ideal Partner for Building a Reliable Telehealth Platform

Let’s go straight to the point!

We’re an Ontario-based healthcare-focused IT company.

Our telehealth platforms not only showcase SyS Creations’ technical proficiency but also our ability to swiftly adapt to industry-specific needs.

We’ve been focusing exclusively on healthcare IT solutions for the past 10+ years.

We’re a team of 50+ app developers, UI/UX designers, business analysts, compliance specialists, and QA engineers. Starting from scratch, we work with you to create a refined final product, ensuring you meet market demands and bridge the gap in healthcare.

Let’s build the future of healthcare together – get in touch with us and make your ideas happen!