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Telemedicine has been key to combating COVID-19. Hospitals are at or are nearing capacity as the number of confirmed cases continues to soar. Virtual visits and online communications are helping providers free up physical capacity for patients who need it more, while ensuring all who need care are receiving medical attention without increasing exposure to the novel coronavirus.
Nearly three-quarters of individuals recently surveyed reported they would consider using telehealth for treatment if they felt they developed COVID-19 symptoms. Two-thirds said the pandemic increased their willingness to try connected health for the first time, according to a recent Sykes Enterprises survey.
Out of the coronavirus questions in the survey, almost 76 percent of respondents said they would use telehealth to see if they’ve been infected, but less than 12 percent have done so.
The telemedicine market is expected to reach nearly $64 million by 2022 as organizations work to develop telemedicine programs to cut back on costs associated with care provider visits. Deploying a successful telemedicine program from an infrastructure perspective is vital.
Organizations must consider how clinicians and patients are connecting to the network safely while at home. A reliable connection is crucial and unreliable connectivity will prevent telemedicine programs from being successful.
Video conferencing is one of the most significant obstacles facing telehealth. When visiting a remote patient, clinicians need a secure connection on which to share PHI. Clinicians also need a reliable connection so the video is clear.
Unsecure connections can have large consequences for organizations and low-quality connections can render telehealth services useless.
API’s have facilitated telehealth over the years by increasing interoperability, putting patients at the center of care. APIs will essentially enable organizations to create new applications by leveraging other health IT systems. This boost in interoperability will create tools that allow patients to access virtual care and health information in a safe and efficient manner.
Vonage’s complete suite of video communication solutions has the capacity to address the ongoing need for individuals to stay connected not only during the pandemic, but also beyond it as well.
“Vonage's Video API has experienced significant growth over the last three months, especially in the telehealth, social and education verticals, and has delivered more than 50 billion minutes of video since inception, across a virtually unlimited number of use cases,” Vonage said.
The quick and easy video service can be used with desktop and mobile web support, no registration, no downloads, no maximum number of meetings, and no meeting time limits.
During the current effort to move to remote work across the world, service availability, security and privacy remain are extremely vital. Vonage video incorporates practices in these important areas including:
- Software and infrastructure designed with high availability on geo-redundant public cloud technology
- A microservices architecture with robust monitoring to ensure a real-time view of performance
- 24/7 monitoring tools and technologies to ensure expert availability to support customers globally
- The same underlying communications APIs that have been leveraged by developers around the world to build HIPAA and GDPR-compliant video solutions
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