One of the greatest achievements of the telecommunication technology, telehealth works best in today’s digital world where everything is needed to be a click away. One of the greatest health benefits that telehealth provides is mental health consultation. Patients can reach out to a specialist without having to convince their family to make them see one. This also helps patients to keep their problems private as attendants at hospital usually want to know everything about the patient. Patients can get prescriptions and avail counseling facilities at a cheaper rate. Regular visits to the therapist can be exhausting in terms of both energy of the patient and money. This is especially beneficial for people visiting a therapist from remote areas, making it an economical experience.

Procrastination and self-medication issues are also solved by telehealth. People tend to ignore slight disturbances and not see a practitioner until it becomes absolutely necessary but with telehealth, they become more active about seeking advice instantly. In this way illnesses are diagnosed and treated earlier. Telehealth empowers a patient to play an active role in their health care. According to a research, home monitoring of chronic diseases has reduced hospital visits by 50%. About 20% of patients after experiencing heart failure episode get re-admitted to hospitals. Telehealth has reduced that to 4%.Timely provision of treatments that reverse the consequences of a stroke have increased from 15% to 85% due to the availability of telestroke programs. Telehealth supported ICUs have reduced morality rates by 15 – 30%.

The demand of telehealth facilities is increasing, but before deciding to use it, we must try and understand that it is necessary to compare and evaluate in order to opt for the telehealth company most suitable for us. Not all companies offer the same kinds of facilities or advantages; a comparison between four leading telehealth companies is made below to help you see that and make a more informed decision.

Teladoc:

The oldest telehealth company in the United States that provides services 24/7 by U.S. board certified doctors. About 92% of patients that approached teladoc are said to have had their problems solved. Teladoc is expanding and now its services include mental health consultations where physicians provide counseling for issues like addiction and depression. It treats almost all non-emergency conditions of dermatology, pediatric issues and sexual health problems. The physicians examine reports and prescribe medicines, too.

American Well:

Using one of the best telehealth platform, the company accepts voice and video calls 24/7 and connects you to a physician in your state in the U.S. Its network of certified doctors is expanding and other than medical practitioners, it has also included mental health therapists and nutritionists in its circle. It is integrated with Apple Health and Samsung has recently partnered with it. With this facility people use their devices at home, and information like history and vital signs are made available to consultants. American Well provides a video facility that allows about 8 caregivers, family members and physicians to interact with the patient.

Doctor on Demand:

Allows 24/7 access through video calling. It provides urgent care for issues like aches and allergies. The physicians take history, examine you and recommend treatment. The first visit is absolutely free. The company provides counseling on various issues including weight control, mental health and smoking cessation. It does not treat traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, chest pain and numbness, vomiting or coughing blood, lacerations, loss of consciousness, multiple broken bones, severe burns, pediatric ear infections. They have recently started offering lab screens and allow people to add a doctor to their “favorites.”

Specialists on Call:

A 24/7 available service that is present in hospitals and clinics throughout the U.S. They do not provide their services to individual customers. It has about 200 board certified physicians and can be accessed through more than 450 hospitals all over the United States. They began teleICU services few years ago. Other than this, teleNeurology and telePsychiatry is also available.

The Importance of telehealth cannot be denied as it is emerging as an important part of health care. It allows improved access and improved health outcomes in cost effective ways. It has proven to be most helpful for people in remote and rural areas. Other than this, being an economic way of getting clinical advice is one of its most important features.
However, once again, we must keep in mind that randomly choosing a telehealth company is not the best way to go about it. Compare, evaluate, and carefully chose the provider that best suits you, your condition and your needs.