Some patients and clinicians are hesitant to use this new technology and prefer traveling to visit a doctor

in a physician-patient clinic-based evaluation. Additionally, some telemedicine providers may have

limited set hours. Patronus encourages both telemedicine engagements and in-person visits. Importantly,
Patronus Medical physicians are available globally 24/7/365 on your schedule.

Despite these perceived disadvantages, telemedicine continues to gain acceptance with doctors and
clients rapidly. The growth in the telemedicine market has been extraordinary over the past decade and
is predicted to reach soon over $18 Billion. Many experts in the field, including Dr. Jay Sanders, Professor
of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and who some refer to as the “Father of
Telemedicine,” argue that we will soon be able to drop the “tele” in front of “medicine” because the
practice will be so widespread that it will be considered a normal and accepted part of our usual standard
of care in medical practice.

While telemedicine promises to grow rapidly over the next decade and has clear benefits, it still poses
some technical and practical problems for healthcare providers.
Technical Training and Equipment
Restructuring IT staff responsibilities and purchasing equipment takes time and costs money. Training is
crucial to building an effective telemedicine program. Physicians, practice managers, and other medical
staff need to be trained on the new systems to ensure a solid ROI. In addition, your staffing requirements
may decrease. For instance, a nurse in a rural Alaska facility canmonitor up to 33 patients at once from a
single location using telemedicine services.
Reduced Care Continuity
In cases where patients are using on-demand telemedicine services that connect them with a random
healthcare provider, care continuity suffers. A patient’s primary care provider may not have access to
records from those other visits and end up with an incomplete history for the patient. Service provider
shuffling increases the risk that a doctor won’t know a patient’s history or have notes about care routines.
Because reduced care continuity can decrease care quality, consumer telemedicine providers must apply
sound data solutions to maintain adequate and accessible patient records. As more healthcare providers
adopt telehealth solutions to use with their own patients, care continuity will likely increase, lessening the
chance that patients end up at a retail clinic or urgent care center when they need quick care.
Fewer In-Person Consultations
Worried about technology’s limitations? You’re not alone. Many doctors worry about technical problems
associated with telemedicine. Senior Healthcare Group Consultant Arun Ravi told Becker’s Hospital
Review that poor broadband connections could lead to “possible patient mismanagement.”
Many physicians and patients alike still like a “personal touch,” and not all procedures – even simple
checkups – can be performed digitally. However, in cases where patients just can’t get in to see their
doctors in-person, and for many cases that don’t require a physical exam, telehealth can be a good
alternative.

While many are optimistic about the potential of telemedicine, others in the industry still have some
concerns. Modern telemedicine technology has come a long way, but it’s not flawless afterall. And with
the breakneck speed that telehealth technology is developing, the regulatory landscape has been
struggling to keep up.
There’s still a need for clearer, streamlined policies and standards around telehealth practice to enable
easier implementation for doctors.
1. Regulatory and Industry Barriers.

Telemedicine regulations vary from state-to-state, and can be hard to decipher. Some physicians may not
want to take the trouble to figure of what’s needed to meet the telemedicine guidelines in their state.
Additionally, some telemedicine tools fall in a grey area of security, and physicians may worry that patient
privacy is not adequately protected. Problems in the mHealth industry, like a lack of interoperability in
EHR systems, can sometimes further complicate the use of telemedicine. Some practitioners are reluctant
to use telemedicine when it seems the industry is constantly in flux.

2. Physical Examination is Limited.

Until relatively recently, live video communications technology wasn’t advanced enough to allow for
comprehensive medical care. Today, most patients and doctors have easy access to technology that allows
high-quality video-conferencing. But for some doctors, a virtual appointment may not seem enough to
diagnose or treat a patient.

Although telemedicine can be very effective for many minor conditions, physicians may not feel
comfortable conducting an examination over videochat. Some patients may also see this as a reason to
choose in-person visit over virtual appointments.
3. Telemedicine Equipment and Technology.

Telemedicine facilitates many remote health services, including chronic patient monitoring, therapy
appointments, and post-operative care. All these services run on software and hardware which can
sometimes be costly – requiring training to use, the hire of additional IT staff, and the purchase of servers
or other ancillary equipment in addition to the software.
Also, as is true of most technology, technical glitches do come up. If problems arise during a virtual visit,
the communication halts. That risk may be enough for some physicians to steer clear of telehealth
platforms, though technological problems occur during in-office visits as well.
Some physicians may not have a computer-literate patient base, or may be worried about equipment
costs and setup. Still others may just not be able to find a user-friendly telehealth platform that fits their
needs.
These advantages and disadvantages are always changing with technology, but they all reflect age-old
principles. When a telemedicine platform has a low cost of entry, little financial risk, and effective security
features, physicians are much more likely to offer telemedicine as a care option.
Despite these conveniences, telemedicine still has its share of downsides. Here are the three most
common:

1. Electronic glitches. Technology is only as reliable as the electrical current that keeps it running.
Inclement weather and other annoyances can cause a power outage or disrupt an internet connection,
complicating online consultation with a doctor. Workers should keep that in mind prior to scheduling
online visits.

2. Physician resistance. The bulk of resistance comes from doctors struggling to comfortably use the new
technology, but this hesitance only extends so far, says Dunmire. "At the same time, their interest has
been piqued a little bit when they think about how they might begin to use this to better manage patients
with chronic illnesses or be able to expand access to rural areas in particular."

3. Inadequate assessment. While having the ability to interface with your primary care physician or dentist
is a major plus, certain non-verbal cues might still slip through the cracks."To me, there are no limits on
how you can use telemedicine, but of course one of the cons is you cannot personally touch or feel the
patient," Guy says.

[See 9 Signs You Should Fire Your Doctor]

Raymond Christensen, a rural family physician and assistant dean for rural health at the University of
Minnesota Medical School, agrees."I think there a lot of good uses for it," he says. "I don't think you can
start an IV with it. There are places where we still have to have people touching people. But it brings a
higher level of care … than we've been able to provide before."

But remember...

Rules regarding privacy and confidentiality apply to a telehealth setting as much as they do to one that's
face to face. But telemedical consumers should be especially mindful that any information transmitted
online—particularly audio, video, and images—can fall prey to hackers. It's incumbent on telehealth users
to learn how to operate the technology correctly and to know their legal rights when it comes to
protecting their identities online. And be respectful to your coworkers during a video visit. Minimizing a
viewing pane to obscure a bleeding lesion and wearing headphones when talking with your physician
show sensitivity to the reactions of others.

So, what's the bottom line? Aim to visit with your physician in-person whenever possible. But if you
absolutely can't visit the office physically due to unbreakable work commitments, consider a telemedical
option. Contact your primary care physician or insurance company to find out if and how these services
might be available to you.