Telemedicine: Emergency Fix or Permanent Solution?

In the final quarter of 2020, the healthcare industry bore witness to a surge in demand for telemedicine services globally and a 400% increase in telemedicine enquiries. This significant development has cemented telemedicine’s importance as a permanent solution for delivering healthcare services to patients worldwide.  The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://businessblog.trueprofile.io/the-rise-of-telemedicine-in-2020/" target="_blank">rise of telemedicine</a> this year was not just a quick-fix as a stop-gap for the world to re-adjust to the effects of the pandemic, but a solution that is very much here to stay. A <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://go.forrester.com/press-newsroom/the-number-of-uk-virtual-care-visits-will-reach-20-million-in-2020/" target="_blank">Forrester report</a> estimates that there will be 20 million telemedicine care visits in the UK alone by the end of 2020. These virtual care services will and have become an accepted alternative to the traditional methods of delivering healthcare.  As COVID-19 ripped through the world, leaving very little untouched, countries went into lockdown and implemented isolation protocols. As a result, the demand for telemedicine increased dramatically. Telemedicine was first put into practice in the 1950s to transmit radiologic images via telephone. Initially, a temporary solution for healthcare institutions to contend with patients’ demand at the beginning of the pandemic, telemedicine has driven market growth.  Telemedicine services can reach populations regardless of geography and its ability to respond to medical emergencies where there are critical healthcare shortages is beyond valuable. Once the benefits became clear, telemedicine as a semi-permanent solution quickly became a permanent part of long-term healthcare strategies. The telemedicine industry has seen a real turning point as a result of the pandemic.  From doctors and nurses to radiologists and psychologists, healthcare professionals are being hired to supply the fastest growing healthcare area and its constant demands. <a href="https://businessblog.trueprofile.io/scaling-your-healthcare-workforce-quickly-in-response-to-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scaling your healthcare workforce quickly in response to COVID-19 </a>offers the opportunity for fraudulent applicants and credentials to infiltrate their way into what is already a high-risk industry. An inefficient hiring process can result in costly lawsuits, imprisonment, brand suffering, reputational damage, casualty, and even loss of life. The <a href="https://businessblog.trueprofile.io/the-true-value-of-verification-in-the-telemedicine-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">true value of verification within the telemedicine industry</a> is more important now than ever to alleviate recruiting challenges.  <h2>Streamlining Telemedicine Services To A High Standard</h2> It’s crucial for healthcare institutions to source the best medical professionals to ensure their staff are qualified to give sound medical advice and administer prescriptions, prognosis, and treatments at a safe and high standard. In addition, dynamic and secure systems and the right technology should be implemented as a standard to ensure that these services run efficiently and effectively.  For patients, telemedicine services provide quick and easy access to healthcare experts, which is essential specifically as the world has a different outlook on the delivery of healthcare in 2020 and beyond. Combining the right hire and the best technology will ensure patient safety and data privacy, which ultimately reflects on the telemedicine service providers’ reputation. Ensuring that you have these two elements firmly in place allows telemedicine as a new service line to run and function properly.  If you are looking to hire pre-verified healthcare staff to provide telemedicine as a service and want to find out how to verify new employees: – visit our dedicated <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/businesspartner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business Partners</a> area – or request your free 7-day trial of <a href="https://lp.trueprofile.io/recruit-medical-staff-free-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TrueProfile.io Recruiting</a> today.