Take a moment to think about your morning routine today. You probably woke up to the alarm on your phone, checked your emails, and turned on your electric coffee maker to start getting ready for the day. Chances are that most parts of your routine were far different than they would have been 50 years ago, thanks to constant changes in technology.
Healthcare has changed just as much or more because of new technology too. Not only do your providers have new tools and resources that help them give you more thorough, safer care, but we all benefit from another advancement too: telemedicine apps.
What Are Telemedicine Apps?
Telemedicine apps are apps that allow you to have a virtual “visit” with your doctor. Each app has different specialties and advantages, and they may let you connect with your doctor on a video call, audio call, or text chat.
Why Telemedicine Apps Are on the Rise
It’s no secret that a traditional doctor’s visit is fraught with inconvenience. Between scheduling an appointment during working hours, leaving work, fighting traffic, waiting in the waiting room, and so on, doctor visits are time-consuming and stressful for anyone. It should come as no surprise, then, that telemedicine apps are sharply rising. In fact, there are several reasons these apps are surging for people in all demographics.
More Equitable Healthcare Access
Traditional doctor visits are prohibitive for large segments of the population, especially those who are underserved in general. They’re difficult or impossible for people without reliable transportation, without childcare, with busy and uncompromising work schedules, and with budgets that don’t allow for childcare or transportation to the doctor’s office. All of these issues are resolved or reduced by telemedicine, allowing more people to finally access proper healthcare.
Increased Privacy and Comfort
Medical anxiety, or whitecoat anxiety as it’s often called, is a common problem that prevents many people from getting medical care. While telemedicine doesn’t alleviate that anxiety entirely, it does let patients get care in the comfort and privacy of their homes, making the experience less stressful and more accessible.
Pandemic-Safe Healthcare
Telemedicine saw a particularly large increase during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 154% increase year over year, to be precise. The contagious pandemic made traditional doctor visits hazardous especially for high-risk patients, who are most likely to need to visit their doctors in the first place. Telemedicine has allowed people to get the care they need safely.
The COVID-19 pandemic may seem like a special circumstance, but the reality is that people with health challenges face risks from the flu and other contagious illnesses too. The advances in telemedicine can help them stay safe from all of these many threats.
Improving Your Access to Healthcare
Technology’s advancements may have their pros and cons, but there’s one advantage we know for certain: they’re making healthcare more accessible and affordable to a wider number of people. Telemedicine apps play a large part in this, and so do online price comparison tools like Imaging Panda.
If you’ve been putting off a doctor’s visit because of the inconvenience or the expense, try telemedicine apps instead. If you’re in need of medical imaging like an x-ray, MRI, or CT scan, find the best option in your area with Imaging Panda.