Page 9 - Telecom Reseller September-October 2016

September/October 2016
DIBATTISTA
Whether it be time or physical restraints, missed appointments are a daily burden for medical providers. It is a major source of lost revenue for practices, costing providers an estimated $150 billion dollars a year in 2013. Telehealth visits have reported a reduction in the number of missed visits for providers and allow for much more exibility for patients who may not be able to get into the o ce.
Combatting the rise of chronic conditions
is a major focus for healthcare providers in
the United States. Treatment o en requires regular checkpoints and lifestyle coaching, much of which can be done through the use
of telemedicine. Provider omas Morrow said, “having access to a patient’s home through telehealth allowed him to gather more information than he would have otherwise had through an o ce visit” equating the access to a home you get through video visits to the house calls he used to do. Telehealth can be a major component in improving the continuity of care patients receive from providers.
Surgical follow-up is an o en underutilized application of telehealth. Post-surgery care can be critical to the recovery of patients, but it is o en forgone leading to readmission and poor outcomes. By utilizing video technology,
Big Opportunities in Digital Transformation of Mission-Critical Communications
CORRIDON
by Christopher Corridon, Managing Director at IP Trade (www.iptrade-networks.com)
One of the last bastions in enterprise communications is poised for a massive overhaul as mission-critical
platforms migrate from legacy to session-based communications technologies.
Change can be hard. is is especially true when it involves mission-critical IT systems. is is why, more than ten years a er Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) transformed voice platforms around the world, the majority of mission- or business-critical communications platforms are only now preparing to make the leap.
e platforms that support vital business functions for various institutions and enterprises are now obsolete and a wave of technology refresh is set to transform mission-critical communications.
Resellers that are already acting as a trusted IT partner will nd opportunities in existing practice areas for data center, networking and collaboration solutions as customers look to simplify and normalize these operations within their IT and collaboration architecture, and seek opportunities to capitalize on trends such as Internet of ings (IoT), big data and social media.
e goals of this digital transformation are
to enhance customer interaction, open new channels of communication, streamline processes and lower costs. is means introducing
exciting new capabilities that may include video, mobile and cloud technologies that enrich communications, enhance automation and intelligence, and signi cantly increase workforce productivity and e ectiveness.
providers can monitor patients as they recover, increasing revenue and reducing the rate of readmission.
Mental health evaluations are needed for a variety of reasons. Whether it be for a company’s hiring requirements or a court of law, mental health evaluations are a regularly needed event in which a telehealth provider can ll the role of an in-person evaluator.
It is no secret America is in desperate need
of improved access to mental health services. Telemedicine can be at the core of solving the American mental health crisis. Finding trained professionals to work with and help those in need with mental illnesses is an area telehealth can greatly aid with, expanding access to mental health services to those that may not have a provider near them or who lack adequate care. e SimpleVisit team has observed mental health
providers using video technology in a variety of applications ranging from memory training to emergency mental health care.
Monitoring medical compliance is a rising concern in public health. Making sure patients are taking their medications and following provider instructions can be a massive burden for care coordinators. By utilizing telemedicine, caretakers can be more e cient in monitoring patient compliance.
Treating acute conditions is what telemedicine is most o en associated with. Whether it’s looking at a strange rash or a nasty cough,
acute cases are commonly treated by providers on telehealth mobile applications. Mobile applications allow patients to get instant access to a provider who can likely treat a variety of acute illnesses.
Many physicians have experienced the burden
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known as being “on call.” It is your day o and suddenly you are taken away from family to spend an hour on the phone speaking with patients. With telehealth, you can be more exible on your days on call and reduce the amount of time on the phone by converting it
to a video call. By moving phone calls to video visits, providers can also bill insurance for reimbursement as you improve the quality of care you are providing.
While telehealth is not the end all be all,
it can be extremely useful in a great deal of circumstances. is list is just scratching the surface for telehealth applications, and as the industry grows, we will continue to see a variety of applications for telehealth technology, well beyond what is currently being experimented with, making the lives of patients and physicians easier worldwide. ■
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