Virtually connecting with doctors anytime and from anywhere in the world, also known as telehealth, is disrupting the healthcare sector in a big way. Cigna Global tells us more about the phenomenon.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is a rather straightforward concept. Simply put, it’s using telecommunications technology to provide medical care, by connecting patients with doctors.
With the advent of the internet, telehealth has been propelled into the future. Mobile apps such as the Cigna Wellbeing® and Cigna Envoy® apps carry a library’s worth of information. Patients and board-certified doctors talk face to face via video chats, and then send the data to any healthcare provider and location instantly. The benefits of telehealth are literally in the palm of our hand.
Convenience
The most obvious benefit of telehealth is 24/7 access to care through video or phone consultations with a doctor. From those living in remote, underserviced areas without a local medical or surgery centre, to those who have busy schedules, telehealth provides around the clock access to physicians and specialists. Telehealth also works around patients’ schedules, so there’s no need to wait for an appointment or travel to the doctor’s office. This saves time, cost and helps patients get immediate care.
As well as the physical distance it bridges, telehealth can provide familiarity and comfort for those living abroad. Patients can speak with someone who knows their language, medical history and treatment preferences.
With fewer barriers, people are more likely to seek medical advice for those little things – like that mole on the lip, the sore neck – things we don’t necessarily prioritise with a trip to the doctor’s but nonetheless should be checked out. As well as keeping people out of the emergency room for minor complaints, this helps ensure early intervention and peace of mind.
The earlier a condition is treated, the greater the chance of success, usually with less invasive treatment and at a much lower cost.
Long-term benefits
What is not immediately obvious are telehealth’s long-term benefits, particularly for those with chronic conditions. With immediate access to medical advice from one single provider, there is improved continuity of care.
With the Cigna Wellbeing app, for instance, patients can connect with a number of long-term management programmes that offer support for managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
But telehealth isn’t just for those who are ill. Ideally, healthcare providers want to keep people healthy, not just treat them when they’re sick. By preventing long-term, costly health events, healthcare costs and premiums are curbed and patient quality of life is improved.
Telehealth is perfectly suited to support that aim. Apps can serve up articles and recipes. The Cigna Wellbeing app has wellness coaches who can guide users through behaviour changes in their lifestyle. This is particularly important in regard to mental health, including stress, one of the most common workplace ailments. It’s just as important to take care of our minds, as it is our bodies.
How Cigna is leading the way in telehealth
Cigna wants everyone to benefit from telehealth. The Cigna Wellbeing app offers access to a global telehealth service, providing phone or video consultations. But the main focus is on prevention.
To keep an eye on the user’s health and wellbeing, the app monitors and assesses sleep habits, nutrition, stress and physical activity. It uses the data to provide personalised information and support from a library of content. For additional support, users can connect with wellness coaches who will help and encourage them to make adjustments to their lifestyle that can improve the user’s quality of life.
This is also particularly invaluable for the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Continual guidance can help manage symptoms and stop progression of the disease. But any unusual results can be tracked and immediately flagged. The app can then send the data and results directly to any Cigna specialist, ensuring that intervention happens as soon as possible.
What is the future of telehealth?
While the current usage is currently relatively low, the consolidation of suppliers of telehealth and the increase of younger tech-savvy generations in the workplace are sure to increase the adoption of telehealth tools.
To help increase the uptake of telehealth, more education on its benefits is needed. A better customer experience will undoubtedly help encourage more users too, so there is still work to be done.
