Teleconsultation can be used as a clinical tool in many situations, with numerous benefits for patients. Find out how remote consultations can make your life and your health easier.
Telemedicine allows us to overcome the barriers of distance in a flexible and convenient way for users, with the possibility of contributing to the continuity of healthcare. In particular, as in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario, it also allows users belonging to risk groups to be protected at home.
There are challenges inherent to remote consultations: communication and access to technology for users are the biggest. Studies relating to teleconsultation also highlight the importance of a prior relationship of trust between doctor and user and underline how teleconsultation acquires greater relevance in monitoring already known users.
However, there are more advantages than disadvantages to the practice of teleconsultation, a solution covered by most health insurance policies, such as AdvanceCare individual health insurance. Get to know some of them.
1. Avoid travelling
The main advantage of teleconsultation is the fact that the patient does not have to travel. Virtual consultation can be carried out from home, from the workplace or, for example, whilst travelling. All you need is access to the necessary technology and that the patient and doctor are available at the agreed time so they can interact.
2. It’s cheaper
By scheduling a teleconsultation you also save on travel costs, such as fuel and parking, which makes the consultation cheaper than a traditional consultation.
Furthermore, the list prices for these consultancies depend, as in a traditional consultancy, on the values agreed with each insurance company, so everything will depend on your policy.
3. Dating tends to go faster
Making an appointment remotely can be quicker than making an appointment in person, and there are also hospitals that offer online booking (which eliminates the need to stand in line, waiting for an operator to respond).
The fact that people still prefer traditional consultations favors faster booking of teleconsults.
4. The waiting time could be shorter
The wait time for a virtual consultation also tends to be shorter than an in-person consultation, as you can save time with this type of consultation.
Currently, by looking at doctors’ appointment times in some hospitals, you can see the time slots in which they provide teleconsultations, which makes the process easier.
5. Lower risk of contamination
In addition to savings and convenience, by scheduling a teleconsultation the patient is not exposed to the risk of contracting an infectious disease in places where patients inevitably meet every day – such as the waiting rooms of clinics or hospitals. This is a factor of great importance in times of the Covid-19 pandemic and can even save lives.
Do you have a headache? Will you be constipated? Try AdvanceCare’s new online symptom screening tool to understand what’s happening to you.
6. Accessible in remote areas
By avoiding travel, teleconsultation becomes a possibility even for those who live in remote areas. The physical location of the patient and the doctor loses importance compared to the more relevant one: the existence of a quality internet connection, a working computer or smartphone and availability for the appointment at the previously scheduled time.
Teleconsultations are nothing new in Portugal. According to data from the SNS portal, 172 thousand teleconsultations were carried out through the National Health Service in 2023. The trend has skyrocketed, for example, in situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The online consultation system provided by AdvanceCare saw a 1200% increase in demand in the first month of the state of emergency. Even for the healthcare sector the future has arrived early.
Can I take advantage of the teleconsultation?
Yes, if you want…
> Exam results
> Clarify doubts
> Renew the medical prescription
> Monitor the evolution of the disease, without the need for a personal evaluation by a doctor
> Clarify a non-urgent acute illness situation
latest posts published
What is botulism: everything about this dangerous disease
How to clean and care for your baby’s belly button?
How to detect and treat gastroenteritis in children?
At what age do the most common types of cancer appear?
Dyslexia in children: what is it, diagnosis and treatment?
Canker sores in children: symptoms and treatments
7 activities to do during the Christmas holidays with children
Self-employed: how much you will pay to Social Security
Know your rights and responsibilities as a worker
