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Review
. 2021:2:100117.
doi: 10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications

Abid Haleem  1 , Mohd Javaid  1 , Ravi Pratap Singh  2 , Rajiv Suman  3
Affiliations
Review

Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications

Abid Haleem et al. Sens Int. 2021.

Abstract

Regular hospital visits can be expensive, particularly in rural areas, due to travel costs. In the era of the Covid-19 Pandemic, where physical interaction becomes risky, people prefer telemedicine. Fortunately, medical visits can be reduced when telemedicine services are used through video conferencing or other virtual technologies. Thus, telemedicine saves both the patient's and the health care provider time and the cost of the treatment. Furthermore, due to its fast and advantageous characteristics, it can streamline the workflow of hospitals and clinics. This disruptive technology would make it easier to monitor discharged patients and manage their recovery. As a result, it is sufficient to state that telemedicine can create a win-win situation. This paper aims to explore the significant capabilities, features with treatment workflow, and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine in Healthcare. The paper identifies seventeen significant applications of telemedicine in Healthcare. Telemedicine is described as a medical practitioner to diagnose and treat patients in a remote area. Using health apps for scheduled follow-up visits makes doctors and patients more effective and improves the probability of follow-up, reducing missing appointments and optimising patient outcomes. Patients should have an accurate medical history and show the doctor any prominent rashes, bruises, or other signs that need attention through the excellent quality audio-video system. Further, practitioners need file management and a payment gateway system. Telemedicine technologies allow patients and doctors both to review the treatment process. However, this technology supplements physical consultation and is in no way a substitute for a physical consultation. Today this technology is a safe choice for patients who cannot go to the doctor or sit at home, especially during a pandemic.

Keywords: Healthcare; Remote treatment; Telemedicine; Virtual appointment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Various capabilities & features of telemedicine for healthcare domain.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Work flow treatment process through telemedicine support.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Frequent barriers in supporting healthcare through telemedicine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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