What is the importance of pediatric telehealth?

Telehealth in Pediatrics

Telehealth in healthcare has revolutionized the service for people who barely have the time to take care of their necessary health concerns. In the general population, too, telehealth has brought great comfort and enormous benefits. There have been multiple studies conducted to show the efficiency of the system. A study comprising 650 patients was conducted, and 74% responded that their care concerns were resolved on telemedicine visits with smooth audio and video on demand. Another study states that emergency department visits have significantly declined, which resulted in cost savings ranging from $309 to over $1,500.

Like its general implications, telehealth has also shown great service in pediatrics. With improved technologies and general acceptance, the performance of telehealth in pediatrics has been satisfactory. It has been an important tool in connecting the child with their family with various health services. Improved technologies in the sector help pediatric patients manage their condition and avoid poor outcomes with the help of consistent virtual visits, symptom surveys, medication management, and biometric monitoring. The family and the caregiver take this as a source of education, support, and child healthcare.

Applications of Telehealth for Children

The applications of telehealth for children are numerous. From treating medical complexity in children to accessing the doctor for on-demand sick visits for any medical needs such as a rash, acne, pink eye, minor illness, constipation, minor trauma, or minor GI issues, telehealth is convenient and easy to access to the tool.

19.8% of children aged 0-17 in the United States have special healthcare needs. Only 43% of children receive the continuous and coordinated care and support they need. With telehealth, this gap can efficiently be filled. Caregivers provide a range of healthcare services to pediatric patients and their families, including Diabetes, Asthma, Behavioral Health, Genetic conditions, Speech therapy, Autism Support, Neonatal care, and Obesity treatment, among others.

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Benefits of Pediatric Telehealth

Telehealth or telemedicine has become a new normal amid COVID-19. More and more people preferred taking healthcare services in the confines of their homes. New parents or parents of younger children were taking extra cautious measures to protect their children as they were more susceptible to the virus. Turning to telehealth was a sensible decision. Telehealth, however, does not replace your pediatrician but works with him to ensure the continuous healthcare they need.

Here are some of the declared healthcare benefits of telehealth in pediatrics:

Care Calls Service

With telemedicine, you can access quick diagnosis from your pediatrician via laptops, smartphones, and computers. Caregivers can extend their healthcare services through these virtual settings in flexible timings and out-of-schedule timetables. They can monetize after-hours care calls too. As there is little to no restriction on time, pediatricians can also streamline non-emergency appointments through new communication channels and set quick clinical scheduling.

Access to Pediatric Care

Having its remote nature, pediatric telehealth can reach a breadth of the population irrespective of location and financial restrictions. People living in under-resourced areas can also have equal opportunities for access to pediatric healthcare. Appropriate payment for services to enhance the effectiveness will further the implementation. The service range of pediatric telehealth is wide, including families, public health agencies such as Child Health Bureau and Maternal, Title V agencies, and states and schools.

Faster Care

The modern family is always on the go with busy schedules and many things to do in a day. Amid this hectic timetable, taking time for a doctor’s appointment disturbs the entire day. Often, the appointments are missed due to unforeseen circumstances; hence, the patient suffers a lot until the next appointment. Telehealth fixes all these problems by providing swift virtual pediatric care that suits your schedule. This option quickens the recovery process for many patients and provides peace of mind to the parent.

Healthcare Equality

According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, many underserved areas in the United States do not get necessary pediatric services. Telehealth services decrease disparities in providing healthcare services to children across the board. It also diminishes other barriers that hinder equal service delivery, such as language, disability, digital literacy, and access to and payment for technology infrastructure.  

Saving Time

In a hectic day, saving time seems a lucrative option in every way. In-house clinic visits for minor concerns take a toll on patients sometimes. Telemedicine visits, on the other hand, are short and convenient that require ten to fifteen minutes. It takes no travel time and saves you from additional waiting at the clinic. It also helps doctors save time for more appointments during the day and treat more patients simultaneously.

Reducing Barriers

Physical barriers such as distance, financial constraints, administrative malfunctioning, or interstate licensure issues hinder healthcare service provision in a normal setting. With telehealth services, patients from outlying areas or states where the physician is not licensed can access the necessary healthcare services irrespective of physical barriers.

Higher Quality Care

Contrary to popular belief, telehealth does not decrease the quality of healthcare, but it enhances it. The overall benefits of telehealth are numerous as it reduces the likelihood of missed appointments, maintains the continuity of visits to the doctor, enhances adherence to set treatment plans and therapies, and saves time and travel costs.

With the popular acceptance of telehealth services after COVID-19 in the population, there is a significant improvement in technologies in enhancing the frequency and quality of communication between pediatricians and patients. It provides swift healthcare service and improves disease management on a large scale. Moreover, virtual visits provide a safer space for patients and their parents in the comfort of their homes. It is more convenient and easy for the patient and the care provider.

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Research and Development

Telehealth has become a normal practice in healthcare service, but some loops need further research and work. Creating an evidence base to address best practices, reduced healthcare costs, workforce needs, patient access to care, quality of care, and patient or family and clinician satisfaction will enable more research to improve the services’ function and access to pediatric care via telehealth. The impact of alternative patent and care delivery models that use telehealth and remote monitoring for children with special needs improvement to integrate care across settings.