I believe that tele-health is great for those who do not have access to the doctors or specialists they need.  I think that technology has given us the option to see people and discuss with them, their problems.  With that being said, I still think having a doctor or specialist see you and your ailment in person is the best way to figure out a solution.  The tele-health can work to a certain extent, and find certain problems, but if the solutions don't work for it, an in person appointment is going to get to the bottom of it.   

The spread of telehealth has definitely resulted in more access to healthcare due to the availability that comes with it. Similar to how working virtually allows one to work from anywhere, telehealth allows individuals to access healthcare from anywhere. This is beneficial as it eliminates having to commute to doctor's offices as well as having to wait a long time before the physician sees you. Additionally, it may be helpful to those that are not able to visit doctor's offices due to their insurance not being accepted there. Telehealth has also helped make doctor visits much more affordable and quicker. This can also be beneficial in ensuring that patients are not spreading their illnesses to others at the doctor's office, as was the case during the pandemic. Although the rise of telehealth has yielded many positive results, it should not replace in-person doctor visits. There are situations where telehealth may not be the best solution. For example, physical examinations are important and can only be conducted in person. Some specialties may be better suited for telehealth than others, such as psychiatry and dermatology. So although telehealth has increased the availability of healthcare, it should never reach a point where it is viewed as more than a supplement to in-person healthcare. 

Developing a new digital medicare way is an innovative way. There must be a lot of problems that need to solve. However, I believe telehealth and digitalization are an advantage in the long term. Telehealth is beneficial for medical services in remote areas. Telehealth also realizes the even distribution of medical resources. The problem is the installation of internet instruments and making effective instruction for seniors. Another advantage is the sharing of medical information. In my home town, the public can share their medical information from one hospital to another because of national health insurance. This is convenient for seniors to transport their data from the local clinics to more prominent hospitals through an NIH card.

There are definitely pros and cons to telehealth. I am someone with ADHD who has to see my provider every three months to get a refill on my prescription. Telehealth removed the hassle associated with going into the doctor's for such a quick assessment. In addition, I do not have to stay in a reception area at the doctor's office for long periods of time; I can wait in the peace and quiet of my own home. Moreover, this method relieves the burden of taking off work or canceling vacations due to schedule conflicts.

Overall, I can see the hinderance of telehealth even though my experience supports the device. Telehealth creates another avenue for patients to evade a full in-depth examination. Treating a patient takes majority of the five senses, and telehealth removes at least two of those senses. 

Telehealth reminds me of Doctors on Wheels. Both concepts were established to close the gap on accessibility to healthcare services. Do you think Telehealth has better outcomes than Doctors on Wheels?

The Coronavirus pandemic shed light on many shortcoming of the US healthcare system. While telehealth and digitized healthcare were available prior to the pandemic, their popularity skyrocketed after it. The concept of digitized healthcare provides another avenue and and expanded access to healthcare for many people. However, in practice, its shortcomings become apparent. Staff shortages plagued the healthcare field even before the pandemic and during the pandemic, many health practices such as check ups and consultations were less encouraged in person. I worked in a group home with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the pandemic and all the individuals received their annual physical and psychiatric check ups for renewing their medications via Zoom or phone call. This was great for the home as the individuals were able to maintain access with their doctors. 

Fitness and smart watches have also been able to expand patient access and influence in their healthcare. These devices can monitor, track and store several health vitals that patients can relay to their healthcare providers. However, it soon became evident that implicit racial biases influenced the results based on the patient. This first came to light with the pulse oximeters that were used to measure blood oxygen saturation levels during the pandemic. Individuals with darker complexions or with artificial nails received inaccurately high oxygen levels as the infrared light used in the device could not adequately pass through skin with more melanin resulting in discrepancies and ultimately delayed care. This was found to also be the case with fitness and smart watches that used similar light technology to measure vitals. The increase in digitized healthcare is great as it expands the reach of providers beyond the physical hospital building. However, there are still some issues that need to be addressed and corrected in order to ensure less health disparities and more equity in providing care. 

The shift towards digital healthcare services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought both advantages and challenges. It has significantly improved access to healthcare for many individuals. Telemedicine, for example, has allowed patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, reducing the risk of virus transmission and overcoming geographical barriers. It has also provided a convenient option for routine check-ups and non-emergency consultations. However, some individuals, especially those in underserved communities or with limited access to technology, face barriers to accessing digital healthcare services. Additionally, concerns about data privacy and security have arisen with the increased use of telehealth platforms. There's also a potential for misdiagnosis or incomplete assessments in a virtual setting, which can affect the quality of care.

Without a doubt, telehealth has increased access to healthcare, especially for those individuals who either live in areas far from physicians or individuals who prefer not to drive/leave the house. While telehealth has allowed more patients to see physicians, the one concern I have with telehealth is a decrease in the quality of medical practice.

Through my exposure to the healthcare industry, I have seen that one of the MOST important aspects of patient care is the ability of a physician to take a thorough medical history. Medical history does not just involve previous illnesses/issues, but it involves body language, stress, diet, etc. It is much more difficult to get an accurate history over the phone than it is in person. 

Imagine you have a friend who lives across the world. While you can keep in touch over the phone, the only way you can TRULY get to know that friend is to spend time with them in person. In the same way, the best way a physician can understand their patient is through in-person interactions. 

However, despite this, all indications show that telemedicine is the future of healthcare. Thus, biomedical engineers and medical device developers have to think of innovative solutions to simulate in-person interpersonal connections in a remote environment. What are some solutions/devices you can think of that can help with this?

Although Telehealth has provided more access to healthcare, I believe it also has caused more harm. After having the opportunity to shadow different clinicians, I was able to observe first-hand the effects of Telehealth. 

Depending on the scenario, if the patient is not in a semi-critical condition and is simply following up with a routine check-up, then Telehealth is excellent! However, when it comes to complex cases where the patient is required to be observed up close, Telehealth is not efficient. 

An example would be children with Cerebral Palsy. One of the effects of having this condition is having really tight muscles and dislocation of the hips. Telehealth, in this case, would not be efficient to let the clinician know if surgery is crucial to reduce the pain that a patient is going through. 

To further my point, insurance companies also work around Telehealth to maximize the amount of money that they can make. During my shadowing experience, I learned that many insurance companies require a certain amount of time to be spent with the patient in order to cover the bills for that visit. Similarly, insurance companies also have increased the number of patients that clinicians must meet in a day since Telehealth went into a broader effect because the assumption was that the clinicians would now have more time on their hands since they are virtually meeting the patient rather than in-person. In this case, Telehealth has caused healthcare to become more money-oriented than before. 

Now this is not to say that Telehealth is not a good idea. I would say that with proper infrastructure, Telehealth can be on its way to becoming one of the best healthcare-providing resources yet. 

I personally believe that the transition to digital healthcare has significantly increased healthcare accessibility, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, many individuals were hesitant about utilizing digital healthcare services. However, the pandemic compelled numerous people to try these services for the first time, and they discovered them to be convenient, cost-effective, and efficient.

Digital healthcare encompasses a wide array of services, such as telehealth appointments, wearable devices, remote patient monitoring, and various health-related apps. These innovations have made healthcare more accessible to individuals who live in remote areas, struggle with transportation, have busy schedules, require frequent monitoring for chronic conditions, face post-surgery recovery, or encounter obstacles like language barriers in traditional healthcare settings.

While there are challenges associated with digital healthcare, such as unequal access to technology and the preference for in-person care for complex medical issues, I firmly believe that the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. Digital healthcare has demonstrated its value by enabling people to continue medical consultations during the pandemic, facilitating remote monitoring for chronic conditions, and assisting with proactive health management through various apps. In my view, it has the potential to revolutionize healthcare accessibility and delivery.