What is Telehealth & How Does it Work?

Living in the age of technology, the digitization of various aspects of our lives is not surprising. This includes traditional service delivery models like those for medicine.

Telemedicine has been around for several decades since the 1950s and 1960s, in the form of helplines and online resource banks that allow patients and doctors to connect. Still, with the progress of time, communication channels have become increasingly refined.

Beyond just delivery for medication, or quick Skype or Face Time chats with your GP, telehealth is an entire field dedicated to providing alternative tech-oriented healthcare provision channels.

How does telehealth work?

Telehealth combines different information and communication mediums and to enable remote healthcare access without compromising quality or professionalism.

Telehealth software platforms and applications transfer all doctor-patients interactions onto digital platforms. They allow patients and doctors to schedule one-on-one appointments and meetings in a professional, regulated channel.

Telehealth can refer to a combination of or specific mediums of communication such as text messages, instant messages, video calls, phone calls, through devices like tablets, computers, and mobile phones.

Specific channels such as CallingDr also allow healthcare providers to build patient files and other benefits through easy integration of the platform.

What are the benefits of telehealth?

Telehealth offers healthcare providers and their patients unparalleled convenience and flexibility, making it ideal for long-term treatments, follow-ups, and routine checkups.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, when all non-emergency medical services have been curbed, telehealth seemed to become a popular choice almost overnight. It lets you stay connected to patients, without risking their safety or your own, dedicating walk-in appointments only for emergency cases.

Among its many benefits, some of the most notable of telehealth are:

·         Patient monitoring and engagement

Doctors can easily monitor patients, log symptoms, check for anomalies and issues, record vitals, record data via forms for patient check-ins. These platforms also allow you to place an order for prescriptions and lab orders.

·         Patient-centric healthcare

Traditional healthcare systems are practitioner-centric, but telehealth allows enough flexibility and shifts the dynamic to be more patient-centric. From appointment scheduling and reminders to self and co-pay options, integration with insurance plans– telehealth mediums make shared usage easy.

·         Privacy and security are prioritized

Of course, when using informal mediums of digital communication, there's always a risk of privacy being violated. Through reliable applications, you get a secure messaging platform that ideally should be HIPAA and HITECH compliant. 

CallingDr offers you all of the above and more, creating a cohesive, all-encompassing telehealth app forproviders that makes their practice easier. You can learn more about their work and register with them through their website.

All You Need to Know About Asymptomatic COVID-19 Transmission

Ever since the first couple of coronavirus cases emerged in December 2019, last December, healthcare experts and scientists have been neck-deep in research in an attempt to understand the virus better. 

For the first few months, it was believed that the only source of transmission of this highly contagious disease was from person to person. Direct contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and nasal discharge were suspected of having the disease. 

However, we have since learned that these symptoms aren’t necessarily present among infected individuals. In fact, hundreds of individuals have tested positive without exhibiting any of these symptoms, bringing under focus the concept of asymptomatic transmission.

What Is Asymptomatic Transmission?

Asymptomatic is a term used to describe a person who has the disease but hasn’t developed any symptoms. They may feel perfectly healthy, showing no unusual changes in their health, all the while being infected. It’s different from being pre-symptomatic, which is when one doesn’t have any symptoms initially but later develops.

How Many People Are Asymptomatic?

Honestly, there’s no way of knowing this. Previousstudies have given us an unclear range of between 18% and 80%, but this may not apply to the current situation. The only way to know if someone is asymptomatic and then devise a statistic is by testing people even if they don’t exhibit any symptoms (aka mass testing). 

How Can Asymptomatic Transmission Be Limited?

Just because a person is asymptomatic doesn’t mean they’re any less of a threat when it comes to transmitting the disease. Consequently, you need to adhere strictly to the preventative measures laid out by the WHO.

First and foremost, wear a face mask when surrounded by other people to prevent transmission. This should be done even when you’re stepping out in the street or going for a walk in the nearest park.

Secondly, maintain a distance of at least six feet when out in public. Stick to the local social distancing laws and avoid being in gatherings unnecessarily. 

Finally, take good care of your hygiene, diet, and lifestyle. You never know if the last person you saw—even from a distance—was infected or not. Similarly, you may not know that you’ve been infected when interacting with someone else. Follow the preventative measures to avoid any risks.

If you have any specific concerns regarding COVID-19, book a consultation with a healthcare professional via CallingDr™. 

The HIPAA-complianttelehealth app helps both healthcare professionals as well as patients, offering white-label telehealth solutions across the country.

Get in touch today and learn more about the app’s features.

How to Boost Your Immunity during the Pandemic

As scientists and health experts continue to find a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, it’s more important than ever to stay healthy and strengthen your immune system. 

Wondering how you can prepare your body to withstand the onset of the disease? Here are a few ideas.

Exercise Regularly

One thing you must not give up during the pandemic is your exercise regime. While your local gym may be closed and lockdown restrictions may prevent you from going out for your usual morning run, you can still exercise in other ways. 

Aerobic exercise is proven to have a positive effect on the immune system. Individuals who participate in aerobic exercise on a regular basis tend to fall sick less and stay healthier than those who exercise infrequently (or not all). 

Physical activity improves your cardiovascular health, helps you regulate your body weight, prevents upper respiratory infections, and fights off a number of other ailments. 

If you can’t go out to the park, take a walk on your street, keeping a 6-foot distance from anyone in sight. You can also improvise a home workout plan to stay active and healthy.

Get Sufficient Sleep

Staying at home has given us the chance to catch up on our sleep. The important thing to remember, however, is that you get the right amount of sleep and don’t get into the habit of dozing off for much longer than you should.

Sleep is instrumental to your immune system. It helps reboot both your mind and your body, allowing you to wake up fresh and recharged. In doing so, it also strengthens your immunity and makes you less susceptible to infections and common ailments. 

Not getting enough sleep can result in your body,producing an increased amount of stress hormones, which negatively impact your immune system. Not only do they prevent you from getting the sleep you need, but also exert stress on the immune system.

Eat Healthy

Consuming a well-balanced and healthy diet is imperative for a strong immune system, and even more so during the pandemic. 

While there’s no evidence of a particular diet being especially effective against the coronavirus, one comprising a balanced mix of all food groups is generally recommended to improve immunity. 

The Mediterranean diet, in particular, is said to be especially beneficial as it’s packed with fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, legumes, and lean meat.

In addition to this, you should also include probiotics in your diet to prevent infections and illnesses. These include fermented foods like miso and kimchi, as well as yogurt.

If you have any specific concerns regarding COVID-19,book a consultation with a healthcare professional via CallingDr™. 

The premium HIPAA-compliant telehealth app is designed for both doctors as well as patients, and offers white-label telehealth solutions across the country.

Get in touch today and learn more about the app’s features.