If you or a loved one is living with a chronic illness like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chances are you may feel the burden of frequent visits to doctors and specialists, readmission from complications, and constant monitoring. Care can be costly, time-consuming, and difficult to manage. But, thanks to the emergence of Telehealth, patients are finding an alternative method of managing their illness. Telehealth utilizes technology to provide a long-term solution to managing COPD that has to the potential to save time, improve quality of life, and reduce costs.
Assisted offers telehealth services including frequent phone calls and check-ins, weekly patient reviews by nurses, and regular evaluations of patient data by physicians. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits that telehealth has to offer.
Convenience
COPD is a progressive disease and depending on the stage, patients can find themselves visiting their primary care doctor anywhere from every six months to as often as every two weeks. In addition to visits with their regular doctor, patients may be required to visit other specialists such as Pulmonologists or Respiratory Therapists to help manage their condition. These visits can be both time consuming and costly, particularly for patients who work and must take time off from work or those who lack reliable transportation. Telehealth can help patients cut travel time, save on gas money, and provide convenient access to doctors and specialists from the comfort of their own home.
Quality of Life
In addition to being convenient, by reducing the number of doctor visits a patient makes, telehealth limits patient’s exposure to illnesses that may be floating around a doctor’s waiting room. COPD patients have a higher risk of experiencing complications from colds and the flu and are more likely to develop pneumonia, respiratory tract infections, or respiratory failure. These complications can affect their ability to breathe and maintain an active lifestyle. Telehealth allows patients to monitor their COPD and check-in with their healthcare providers while avoiding a potentially dangerous situation and maintain a better quality of life.
Self-Management and Lowering Costs
Studies show that better self-management of COPD and increased patient engagement can help reduce hospital readmissions. And, research estimates that approximately “two-thirds of COPD-related healthcare costs are incurred during hospital stays” (https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/uab-telehealth-helps-copd-patients-recover-after-hospitalization). Patients who are more involved with their care can learn to recognize the warning signs and avoid hospital stays due to an exacerbation of COPD. Telehealth promotes self-management and increased communication between patients and healthcare providers by asking patients for frequent updates on their condition regarding their medication intake, weight, and other symptoms they may be experiencing. By staying engaged with their care, patients may be able to avoid hospital readmissions and help lower their total healthcare costs.
To learn more about the telehealth services that Assisted offers, call us today at 800-949-6555 or visit us online at www.AssistedCares.com.
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