Offering remote services is important for businesses everywhere, and pediatricians are no exception. For doctors who strive to provide the highest quality of healthcare to their patients, telehealth services are a perfect way to elevate a pediatric practice. Offering telehealth options to patients not only improves the quality of care patients receive, but also improves office efficiency and reduces the strain on other medical services and resources.

Telehealth Uses in Healthcare

Telehealth applications in healthcare can range from providing round-the-clock medical services to offering health education services. However, telehealth is most often used to connect patients and doctors virtually. Pediatricians can provide care to patients through different telehealth services such as HIPAA-compliant video conferencing or a mobile app that is specific to their practice. While telehealth can’t completely replace in-person appointments, the technology is useful in helping patients manage chronic and acute conditions. It’s also helpful in triaging minor cases of flu and other infectious illnesses so sick patients can avoid unnecessary contact with other patients in your waiting area.

Continuity of Care

Telehealth services are proven to help doctors provide continuous, ongoing care. Left untreated, minor illnesses might develop into something more serious. When care is convenient and accessible, problems can be addressed sooner and significant complications avoided.

Clinicians can quickly adjust treatments, maintain accurate medical records, and improve overall health outcomes for patients. Continuity of care also improves the doctor-patient relationship by building familiarity and trust. When pediatricians are in tune with their patients’ lives, they are better equipped to suggest effective treatments that align with a patient’s schedule and lifestyle. 

The most common reasons patients don’t seek care can be attributed to challenges such as distance, time, finances, or a combination of all three. Telehealth services allow healthcare providers to connect and monitor a patient’s condition virtually, alleviating some of these stresses for patients and their families. It also lets you centralize a patient’s care in one place – your trusted medical home.

Eliminating the Need for Urgent Care and ER Visits

One of the best things about telehealth is that it cuts down on visits to an urgent care or emergency room. Telehealth lets patients connect with their own healthcare provider outside of regular office hours. Because pediatricians have access to all of a patient’s medical records, it puts them in the best position to diagnose and suggest treatment options that will work best for an individual. Urgent care and emergency rooms don’t always have access to these extensive medical records and may make treatment or prescription suggestions that conflict with a patient’s overall care. 

When exploring how telehealth is applied in healthcare, we frequently focus on the doctor-patient relationship. However, it’s equally important to consider the interactions between various medical services. Using telehealth, pediatricians can not only maintain their connection with patients but also seamlessly share and transfer medical records during a visit. This ensures that patients and their families have convenient access to critical medical information whenever they need it. And parents don’t need to worry about searching in different portals to find their child’s medical records.

Empowering Pediatricians 

When a parent’s hectic work schedule or a child’s extracurricular activity necessitates a last-minute appointment change, a telehealth solution with a mobile app allows parents to immediately alert your practice and make alternate arrangements. Telehealth platforms that incorporate an app also let patients and caregivers book appointments without having to call the practice and tie up the front desk.

Flexible scheduling benefits pediatricians and their staff as well. By offering telehealth options, offices can run more efficiently. Rather than trying to manage the stress of accommodating walk-in patients between regularly scheduled appointments, doctors can evaluate a patient’s symptoms remotely and decide if an in-person evaluation is needed. It also supports more flexibility in a workday.

Being able to take telehealth calls from the comfort of their home offers multiple advantages for healthcare providers. First and foremost, it provides a more flexible and family-friendly work environment, which can lead to improved work-life balance. This, in turn, contributes to reduced burnout and increased job satisfaction. It also expands access to care, especially in remote areas, by eliminating travel and maximizing patient care time. This innovative approach improves the healthcare experience for both pediatricians and the families they care for.

Telehealth Options

With the sheer number of telehealth services available to doctors, connecting to patients has never been easier. Doctors who practice in remote areas can offer video conferencing services. Pediatricians caring for young adults leaving home for college will find great value in offering a mobile app. When tripledemics hit communities, accessing healthcare remotely will remain a priority for all providers and their patients now and for the foreseeable future. 

Doctors should choose a telehealth solution that enhances the care their practice provides. Offering telehealth services is a signal to patients that their doctor is committed to their health, promoting the doctor-patient relationship and facilitating better patient engagement. When doctors and patients work together, the odds of success are greatly improved.

Pediatricians who see the potential of a virtual care platform know that it’s about improving the quality of care you can provide to your patients. Using telehealth services to streamline your practice ensures your patients have access to seamless, attentive care, and there is no one better to provide that care than you!  Contact us to learn more about our innovative telehealth solutions.

EHRs are the key to streamlining operations, identifying efficiencies and gaps in care, and freeing up valuable time for you and your staff. OP’s pediatric-specialty EHR offers features designed to help keep your practice’s financial and clinical operations running smoothly so you can focus on your patients. Contact us today to learn how Office Practicum can help your pediatric practice operate at its best.