According to a recent U.S. study, telemedicine – or video calls with a doctor or therapist – increases the number of people who have access to quality care and may offer similar symptom improvement as in-person visits.
The study, just released by the U.S. Nation Institute of Health, monitored 241 depressed elderly veterans as they received eight weeks of psychotherapy. Some visited a clinician’s office, while the second group received treatment through in-home videoconferencing technology – telemedicine. All patients were also allowed to take antidepressants.
The results concluded that there was little or no meaningful difference in the symptom relief between the two groups of patients – telemedicine provided the same level of results.
Leading the study, Dr. Leonard Egede, a researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center summed up the findings.
“Based on results of this study and prior research, telemedicine is a highly relevant option to address the needs of rural patients or those living in remote locations, while providing patient satisfaction and quality of life similar to that provided by in-person treatment delivered at clinics,” Dr. Egede stated. “In addition, this study was focused specifically on the elderly population, who have limitations in terms of mobility and transportation options that make them good candidates for depression therapy using telemedicine.”
Egede concluded that based on the analyses, there was no specific group of patients (based on age, race, or gender) that experienced outcomes that would require in-person treatment versus video appointments.
Depression in the U.S
About one in 10 Americans suffers from depression and it is also a leading cause of death and disability. But, close to half of patients with depression don’t get treatment – often because getting to a clinician’s office is a challenge.
In fact, those who suffer from depression often do not follow through with treatment because of issues with mobility, travel distance, transportation costs or time off work – challenges that telemedicine effectively solves.
Veterans make up a sizable chunk of those suffering from depression. Many, particularly the elderly, often experience overwhelming challenges in obtaining quality mental health treatments.
In recent years, a panel determined that viable healthcare solutions exist for the plethora of problems that plague the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system and telemedicine tops the list of remedies.
A Closer Look at the Study
Researchers wanted to determine if there was any difference in patient satisfaction between telemedicine and against in-person therapy for depression. They gathered patient data on male and female veterans aged 58 and older.
The majority of the patients in the study were white males and were diagnosed with depression. The study did not include anyone with a diagnosis of psychosis, dementia, a substance dependence or suicidal thinking.
The telemedicine group:
- Used cameras paired with video monitors that worked with a phone line. Patients did not need to have Internet access for the study.
- Researchers noted each patient’s physical function, emotional problems, energy and fatigue, pain, social functioning and general health.
- On each of these criteria, the results were similar for telemedicine and in-person therapy.
Both groups of patients were asked if they felt that the treatment they received was a credible method for treating depression. Their response from the patients was that there was no difference in the level of satisfaction, supporting previous evidence suggesting telemedicine can work as well as in-person visits.
The Advantages of Telemedicine
Telemedicine – a remote consultation using a phone app or online through a personal computer or tablet is being used across all patient demographics, not just with veterans. More and more people are opting to “see” a doctor through telemedicine for common illnesses and prescriptions.
Growing in popularity over the last few years, telemedicine has been backed by several health plans, including Cigna Inc. Approximately 15 million people tapped into this innovative, time-saving method to get medical advice and treatment back in 2014, and that figure was a 50 % increase from the prior year, according to the Telemedicine Association.
Advantages of telemental health treatment include:
- Reducing stigma
- Greater access for patients located in remote locations
- Enhancing services to those with chronic health problems that restrict mobility
- Treatment approach is especially attractive to younger populations who may be receptive to computer or other technology-based approaches to healthcare
Telemedicine Reaches More Patients in Need
According to Dr. David Shulkin, Under Secretary for Health and VA Chief Executive, the VA supported 2.1 million episodes with telehealth care in recent years. This figure included a variety of services like home telehealth, and site-to-site telehealth, as well as 400,000 telemental health visits for veterans.
Growing in popularity over the last few years, telemedicine has been backed by several health plans, including Cigna Inc. Approximately 15 million people tapped into this innovative, time-saving method to get medical advice, according to the Telemedicine Association.
The VA Recognizes Telemedicine Results
To date, telemedicine initiatives by the VA have reduced readmissions of patients to hospitals by 32 percent, and decreased total psychiatric admissions by 35 percent, Shulkin said. And the veterans who use the service are happy with their care, with satisfaction scores reaching 89 percent.
“We believe telehealth is an important component of addressing the access issue for VA,” Shulkin stated.
Telemedicine answers to the major challenge the VA faces – providing easy access to care for patients across the country, many of whom live in rural areas. Its particular benefits include access to remote or hard to see specialists and well as faster access to primary care.
In the case of specialized conditions, telemedicine not only allows patients in rural or underserved area to gain access to a qualified specialist quickly, it enables hospitals to re-brand themselves and expand their reach to more patients in need of service.
Companies Leading the Way in Telemedicine
Like any other new trend, telemedicine has taken time to gain the trust of doctors and patients, but more and more are jumping on board, according to recent surveys. Hospitals (and insurance companies) have shown support, mainly because it reduces hospital stays and cuts costs. In general, the average cost of an online consultation for some patients is $50, versus an average of $80 for an office visit.
When it comes to basic patient diagnosis and commonly prescribed prescriptions, trusted companies like eDrugstore have use telemedicine and online medical consultations to increase patient access to medications and healthcare.
Telemedicine is popular among patients looking for an affordable and convenient way to address common health concerns, without being required to have a face-to-face doctor’s appointment for a physical examination. Instead, you are sent a secure online medical questionnaire that will be reviewed by a US-licensed physician.
An online medical consultation is a great choice for patients seeking treatment for many non-life threatening conditions – from depression to male impotence to hair loss – since these conditions typically don’t necessitate an immediate visit to your doctor’s office.
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