While professionals are finding ways to accommodate patients during this time of isolation, the effects of the new normal can be seen in the rise of telehealth services. According to a telehealth satisfaction study from J.D. Power, telehealth works for most consumers using the technology. The study revealed that more than 84 percent of telehealth users were able to completely resolve their medical concerns during their visit and 73 percent did not experience any issues during their service. Nearly 49 percent of users say there were no hurdles that made using telehealth difficult.
XRHealth, first certified extended reality medical company in the world, has raised $7 million to expand its telehealth platform to support more clinicians and patients as it sees a rise in usage. It is also the first company to create virtual reality clinics that provide remote care to patients that is covered by most major health insurance companies. One of the unique features that this form of virtual reality therapy provides is virtual support groups, where patients with similar conditions can connect anonymously while being moderated by leading physicians. “Telehealth has emerged on the medical scene as a crucial medium of care for patients throughout the world,” says Eran Orr, CEO of XRHealth. “Virtual and augmented reality technologies offer a unique platform for patients to be treated since they are immersed in a world that is designed completely to help them heal. We have taken this a step further by adding support groups and virtual clinics so that anyone can receive the care they need, no matter where they are."
Johnny Franco, M.D., founder of A More Beautiful You Plastic Surgery (Austin, TX) is making efforts to accommodate patients from all over the state and country with the option to meet virtually and ensure clients don’t have to come in for things like pre- and post-surgical checkups and consultations, while Tom Seery, founder and CEO of RealSelf, an online resource for cosmetic treatments, has launched a new virtual consultation feature that allows users to choose from over 600 doctors to schedule a virtual one-on-one appointment.
Amber Budd Peterson, a licensed advanced practice esthetician, launched an app called myEsthi in late 2019, which allows users to book one-on-one video consultations with licensed esthetic professionals. Since the onset of COVID-19, myEsthi has also seen an uptick in the need for finding new ways to meet with clients.
Stephen Hyduchak, CEO of Aver, an identity-verification service claims that medical data is some of the most sensitive information, making it a primary target for hackers. “Telehealth was trending upward before the pandemic, and there were already privacy and security concerns,” says Hyduchak. “But now those are heightened as people want immediate care and are ready to accept the exchange of privacy to receive that.” Hyduchak recently shared four security practices to implement when using telehealth services, including double-checking security permissions before downloading apps, looking at reviews and receiving recommendations from your network before choosing an app, being aware of phising scams, and learning data usage of the apps your using.
According to CNN, CareClix, a virtual health platform, saw a 50 percent increase of usage in March. Another telemedicine company in Minneapolis saw a 3600 percent increase in virtual visits on their platform over an 11-day period. The unprecedented circumstances have caused a breakthrough for telemedicine.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort added to the expansion of telemedicine by partnering with medical specialists to offer at-home treatments. The resort is currently offering two complimentary at-home experiences with partners NuLife Institute, the leaders in age management, and Carolina Pataky, Ph.D., emotional and relationship therapist.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted social distancing as a safety measure. The telehealth community is doing its part to ensure clients are getting the care they need from the comfort of their homes.
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