Things are changing quickly as we learn more about the coronavirus (COVID-19), and the number of individuals affected continues to grow. While numerous businesses and schools have closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus outbreak — what’s been referred to as “flattening the curve” — access to healthcare remains a vital part of the solution.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve watched healthcare providers tirelessly work to provide patients with the care and support they need. Yet, the emphasis on social distancing to combat the spread of this virus has made it difficult for traditional healthcare systems to service patients while making them feel comfortable and safe.
In critical times like this, when patients need to access healthcare as well as to avoid large crowds, virtual healthcare (more specifically, virtual lifestyle therapeutics) is the answer.
Continued Access to Care & Support Amid Crises
Scheduling delays. Driving long distances. Long waiting room lines. Germ exposure. Under normal circumstances, any number of barriers can make it difficult for patients to access healthcare in a traditional system. Amid a crisis like a coronavirus pandemic, a time when fear and panic are at the forefront and the safest recommendation is to stay at home, these concerns are only further exacerbated.
The beauty of virtual medicine is that it provides a safe and comfortable place for patients (especially those who are at high-risk or choose to self-quarantine) to access care and support — wherever and whenever they need it.
By making their practice virtual, healthcare personnel can ensure patients have access to factual information relevant to COVID-19 and can get answers to questions about the outbreak. This exchange of knowledge, in conjunction with positive support, can help patients manage their stress around the situation and reduce the chances of stress-induced medical emergencies.
All the while, home-based care enables patients who are high risk or with chronic issues to receive the guidance they need to improve their health and continue down their treatment paths, without exposure. In this sense, a virtual care provider can act as an extension of your team to care for high-risk, chronically ill patients. While this helps providers better manage their overwhelming volume of patients in these times, preventative lifestyle therapeutics medicine can help patients reduce their risk of contracting the coronavirus.
While lifestyle and nutrition are integral to the success of patients who receive virtual support, these factors are also beneficial to all patients (healthy or sick) amid a crisis such as this and beyond. Nutritious foods, positive thoughts and proper hygiene can boost a patient’s immune system and build a better defense against potential health risks, come what may.
A Virtual Emergency Plan for the Future
The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the need for healthcare systems to have a virtual emergency plan in place to manage high-risk patients amid crisis. It’s what we need to keep patients, our community and our world safe from another incident like COVID-19.
At inHealth, we want you to know that when the world shuts down, healthcare systems don’t need to. Through virtual coaching, remote patient monitoring and preventative lifestyle therapeutics, we support providers in their efforts to offer all patients the customized care they need in a safe, effective way. This includes, among many other solutions, chronic care management for Medicare patients. With our expertise in caring for chronically ill patients who need ongoing guidance and support, our team acts an extension of providers on the front lines.