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While telemedicine focuses on virtual delivery of clinical services like diagnosis and treatment, telehealth encompasses broader uses of technology to improve health outcomes. This module explores how digital health solutions can be leveraged to enhance health education, behaviour change, preventive wellness, capacity building of providers and health system administration beyond just consultations.
Telehealth Beyond Consultations
Some examples of telehealth modalities beyond online doctor consultations are:
- Patient Education: Providing information on prevention, medications, home care instructions etc. through text, audio, video and interactive platforms.
- Health Coaching: Guiding patients on lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, smoking cessation through coaching apps, online groups.
- Prescription Adherence: Text reminders, pill refill alerts and medication adherence apps help patients comply with therapy.
- Remote Monitoring: Tracking health indicators like blood glucose levels, blood pressure changes, weight patterns using connected devices for timely interventions.
- Online Self-Care: Web/mobile portals prescribing tailored yoga, meditation, fitness regimens which users can access at home.
- Preventive Screening: Population health surveys, online risk assessment tools and text outreach to recommend appropriate health checks.
- Care Navigation: AI chatbots, interactive voice response providing customized guidance on appropriate healthcare resources and appointments.
These expanded telehealth services enable holistic care beyond diagnosis and treatment provided through teleconsultations.
Mobile Health (mHealth)
Mobile health harnesses the reach of smartphones and tablets to deliver telehealth solutions:
- Health education apps providing peer support groups, curated information on managing illnesses.
- Digital therapists and chatbots for initial symptom screening and triaging care needs.
- Wellness apps prescribing exercise, yoga, meditation plans customized to user data and needs.
- Remote monitoring apps synced with wearable devices like smarwatches which can continuously collect and share vital parameters with providers.
- Health gaming apps that impart disease management skills in engaging, interactive formats.
- Diagnostic app interfaces allowing external portable gadgets to capture and transmit readings for clinical interpretation.
- Care coordination apps connecting patients to their healthcare providers and services through appointment booking, reminders etc.
With global smartphone penetration expected to reach ~80% by 2025, mHealth offers a scalable and equitable platform to deliver patient-centric telehealth.
AYUSH and Wellness Platforms
Digital platforms extend the reach of evidence-based therapies from Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and Sowa Rigpa:
- Online Ayurveda consultations for long-term management of chronic health issues like arthritis, asthma etc.
- Yoga therapy portals with video classes targeting specific health conditions like diabetes, back pain guided by experts.
- Apps coaching on breathing techniques, marma/acupressure, home remedies from traditional Indian systems.
- Personalized diet and lifestyle recommendation apps based on dosha, constitution-guided principles.
- Digital repositories of ancient AYUSH texts translated and curated for easy access.
- Online marketplaces delivering verified AYUSH products like medicinal oils, herbal supplements.
- Virtual peer groups for homeopathy user experiences and community learning.
- Tele-Sowa Rigpa sessions on mindfulness, diet, exercise by qualified Amchi physicians.
India’s deep wellspring of traditional wellness knowledge can be shared far more widely in the digital public health era through dedicated AYUSH portals and services.
Tele-education and Training
Technology supports training different types of health workers:
- Virtual classrooms for continuing education of doctors, nurses and other providers through lectures, simulations.
- Digitized clinical protocols and e-learning platforms reinforce best practices and skill building for providers.
- Online certifications make medical education and training accessible even in remote locations.
- Tele-mentoring connects rural health staff to experienced doctors who guide procedures, diagnose reports.
- Interactive apps impart community health education on preventive self-care behaviors.
- Digital libraries with multilingual public health resources, news on latest guidelines, advisories.
- Augmented virtual reality simulations offer risk-free training for developing surgical, examination skills.
- Social media groups where healthcare professionals discuss, collaborate and exchange knowledge.
Training the healthcare workforce through digital modalities makes capacity building more scalable, effective and ongoing.
Challenges and Limitations of Telehealth
Some barriers to telehealth adoption and effective use are:
- Uneven access to technology infrastructure like broadband, devices due to socioeconomic inequities.
- Technical difficulties with audio-visual quality or device use hindering optimal remote consultations.
- Limitations in comprehensive physical examination and hands-on procedures compared to in-person care.
- Issues like limited health literacy, language barriers impeding usage among vulnerable populations.
- Need for training of healthcare providers and staff on virtual care protocols.
- Concerns about privacy of health data and issues like digital impersonification, fraud.
- Lack of reimbursement parity and consistent coverage for telehealth services by insurers.
- Professional isolation due to reduced in-person interactions between colleagues.
- Overdependence on virtual care without human touch in healing.
A thoughtful approach is required to ensure telehealth solutions complement rather than replace traditional care. With enabling policies and continued innovation, telehealth can usher in a more empowered era of equitable healthcare access.
In summary, telehealth expands the possibilities of digital health solutions to enhance care delivery, health literacy, capacity building and system efficiency for better population health outcomes.
