## Skip the Waiting Room, Lower Your Blood Pressure: Can Telehealth Be Your New Health Hero? 🩺
High blood pressure. It’s a silent threat, often lurking unnoticed until it’s too late. But what if managing this dangerous condition could be as easy as a video call? 🤯
Harvard Health recently dropped some exciting news: Telehealth might just be the key to keeping your blood pressure in check. Think about it: no more stressful appointments, no more missed work, and access to expert care from the comfort of your own home. Intrigued? Keep scrolling to discover how telehealth could revolutionize your blood pressure management. 📈The Role of Telehealth in Shaping the Future of Healthcare
Adapting to technological advances, evolving patient and physician preferences, new laws, and changes to business models and the way people work have all contributed to demand for bringing healthcare to people where they live.
With that demand has come questions about the best uses and best practices for telemedicine and what the future of care delivery in the U.S. should look like.
A growing body of evidence shows that telemedicine is a good option for many patients and in many situations, said Mehrotra. And some of the Medicare and Medicaid policy changes that facilitated telemedicine during the early days of the pandemic have already been made permanent.
But more answers are needed, and soon. Some of the other Medicare and Medicaid policies allowing telemedicine are set to expire in December 2024.
Impact on Patient Care and Outcomes
Some of the other Medicare and Medicaid policies allowing telemedicine are set to expire in December 2024.
For example, Mehrotra notes that starting in January 2025 patients will be asked to have an in-person visit before a telemental health visit, some payment rates for remote care will be cut, and the “hospital at home” program that allows some patients to receive hospital-level acute care in their homes will no longer be an option.
Opportunities for Innovation
Mehrotra and others have been gathering data to help policymakers, healthcare administrators, practice managers and other key players answer questions such as: Whether Congress should continue telemedicine access for patients within Medicare.
How in-person practices can compete with remote-only caregivers.
Who can access remote care and from where.
The Mehrotra Study: Insights and Implications
Mehrotra is among the policymakers, doctors, and researchers working to find the best path forward.
They’re doing so by figuring out how to make sure patients can continue to reap the benefits of telemedicine and other forms of remotely delivered health care without increasing spending, lowering quality, or threatening the crucial role that in-person care still plays.
Findings on Telemedicine Use and Health Outcomes
The research represents the first system-wide analysis of the impact of increased telemedicine use at a national scale, the authors said.
The findings suggest that the temporary rules put in place to facilitate remote access to health care should be made permanent.
Impact on Healthcare Spending and Quality
Patients in the high-use systems had 2.2 percent more visits per year (telemedicine and in person) but 2.7 percent fewer non-COVID-19 emergency department visits.
Patients in the high-use systems also spent 1.6 percent more ($248 per patient) but were more likely to receive high-value care.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Telehealth
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Economic Benefits of Telehealth
Telemedicine use skyrocketed during the shutdowns and surges of the early part of the COVID-19 emergency in the United States, as both government and private insurers created more flexible rules about the kinds of health care people could access from their homes or mobile devices.
Although less so than at the peak of the outbreak, patients and clinicians want it to remain an option in care.
Personalized Insights for Patients
Some of the other Medicare and Medicaid policies allowing telemedicine are set to expire in December 2024.
For example, Mehrotra notes that starting in January 2025 patients will be asked to have an in-person visit before a telemental health visit, some payment rates for remote care will be cut, and the “hospital at home” program that allows some patients to receive hospital-level acute care in their homes will no longer be an option.
How to get the most out of telehealth.
Benefits and limitations for individual patients.
Strategies for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Harvard Health article highlights the promising potential of telehealth in maintaining healthy blood pressure. The study found that patients who received telehealth monitoring and guidance had significantly lower blood pressure levels compared to those who received traditional in-person care. This is a crucial finding, as high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
The implications of this study are far-reaching. Telehealth has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach chronic disease management, particularly for patients who face barriers to accessing in-person care. By providing remote monitoring and guidance, telehealth can help patients better manage their condition and reduce their risk of complications. Moreover, telehealth can help alleviate the burden on healthcare systems, which are often overwhelmed by the demands of chronic disease management.
As we look to the future, it is clear that telehealth will play an increasingly important role in the management of chronic diseases like hypertension. With the rise of digital health technologies and the increasing availability of telehealth services, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions emerge. The question is, will we be prepared to harness the potential of telehealth to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs? The answer lies in our ability to invest in the infrastructure and resources necessary to support the widespread adoption of telehealth. As we move forward, it is imperative that we prioritize patient-centered care and leverage the power of telehealth to transform the way we approach chronic disease management.