Telehealth is the provision of healthcare, fitness advice, and bodily monitoring without you having to go into a doctor’s office or clinic to get checked up and checked out. In simple terms, this is the healthcare equivalent of software like Zoom: connecting people remotely. But telehealth also uses novel technologies, centralized in new ways, to improve practitioners’ health and fitness. In this article, we’ll look at how telehealth can boost your fitness, keeping you in good shape without having to visit healthcare experts in person. 

Wearables

The most important aspect of telemedicine and telehealth in the coming years will be the rise of wearables. As more and more people choose to buy smartwatches, more data will be poured into the systems that track our bodily functions. This data is then processed and used to spot everything from dealing with health to serious developing health conditions. 

In terms of fitness, though, you’ll know exactly why wearables are so important. If you’re out for a run, they’ll show you how your heart rate differed over time, where you went, and whether your times are improving on last week’s jog. And you’ll be able to store all of this data yourself so that you can track your progress after each training session. 

Apps

Wearables support apps, but so do smartphones, which nearly all of us now have in our pockets. And while wearable apps can harvest more data about your health and fitness levels, smartphone apps are also playing an increasingly important role in how we keep ourselves in fine health. 

Consider, for example, trackers. With the help of simple apps, we can now track everything from our sleep patterns to the number of steps we complete every day. Apps like LIFE Fasting Tracker for iOS can help us motivate ourselves when adopting a fasting diet to lose weight and tone up, and fitness trackers can help us monitor and check off our goals. All of these are incredibly important for telehealth, as they provide medical prowess and a supportive voice from your pocket, where your smartphone lives. 

Health Conditions

Finally, it’s important to note just how revolutionary telehealth is proving to be for those with chronic conditions and other health issues and ailments. Such individuals often feel hopeless when considering their health and fitness – but they’re also able to build up training plans and routines with the help of fitness trackers and other technologies that’ll help them ensure they’re exercising safely. 

Here, it’s important that the marriage of telehealth with in-person healthcare is done right. Your doctor will be able to tell you which measures to track and when to get in touch if you feel as if your health is on the decline. But with video conferencing software helping you get in touch with your doctor wherever you are, there are more opportunities for individuals with long-term health issues to keep fit with confidence in the future. 

Telehealth promises to be a revolution in healthcare provision across the world – and these tips underscore how important it’ll be for fitness in the coming years. 

This article was originally published by rosannadavisonnutrition.com. Read the original article here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many mental health services moved their patients to telehealth practices to maintain physical distancing guidelines. While the services based on verbal interactions run smoothly, assessment services requiring in-person contact have proven challenging. Here are some important considerations when determining how to move forward with assessments in telepractice.

Assessment Technology

The assessor will need access to proper technology, including high-speed internet, a webcam, and online assessment access. Connections need to be secure on both ends. You must understand the functions of the platform you’re using and carefully consider how it can best mimic traditional services. Another important aspect of telepractice is to ensure test security even in a virtual environment.  Remote audio-visual monitoring is critical to maintain security and ensure the validity of test results.

Function Of The Assessment

Before conducting a telehealth assessment, consider its purpose and criticality. The decision to wait or proceed with analysis is dependent on the possibility of skewed data from telepractice.

Extra care for a diagnosis, legal issue, or prescription of services, is necessary to preserve data integrity and avoid ramifications from an assessment. Evaluations least likely to be harmed by skewed data through a remote platform include screeners and progress monitors.

Data Quality

Once you’ve determined that an assessment needs to be green-lighted, you should think through each task of the instrument to determine how much of the data quality will be affected by the alternate format. Quality images, distortion of sound, and state of mind of the patient are all considerations that could affect the potential outcome.

Rating Scales

Teacher rating scales should be used with caution following COVID-19, keeping in mind that many schools were fully virtual or hybrid. Teachers should have at least a month’s worth of in-person instruction with a student in order to complete an accurate rating scale. Parent rating scales can be weighted more heavily in the overall observation if the teachers’ ratings don’t meet qualifications. Another possibility is to widen the confidence interval when making decisions based on rating scales and any telepractice assessments where the margin of error is likely broadened.

Different Time Points

It is unethical to move forward with an evaluation without using all the pieces of information gathered throughout the process. However, if part of the data was collected prior to the pandemic and part was collected in the middle of quarantine, there can be discrepancies in the results. Including data such as interviews focused on behavior and social-emotional conditions. Used correctly, this data can provide a valuable look at changes over time.

Client Characteristics

Some clients are less able to participate in telepractice assessments. Patients in the following categories may need alternative assessment plans:

• Younger children
• lack of technology expertise
• unable to read
• short attention span
• Patients with significant disabilities
• fine or gross motor delays
• physical disabilities
• significant attention difficulties
• Patients from lower socioeconomic households
• may not have computer, internet, webcam
• may not have a distraction-free space
• Individuals with language barriers
• Those with high anxiety levels

Ultimately, it is the professional’s decision whether assessments should be given through telehealth and how much weight the results should receive. Think through the assessment and the individual to determine whether it’s best to evaluate remotely or wait until conditions allow in-person testing. Visit WPS for more information about psychological and educational assessments.

*collaborative post

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.

Telehealth was still a niche technology two years ago. Now, it’s at the forefront of the healthcare industry. Last March, integration ramped up quickly as the coronavirus spread and more providers extended telemedicine to their patients. During the first quarter of 2020, telehealth visits increased by 50% compared to the year previous, marking a 154% increase during the last week of March.

Now, it seems telehealth is here to stay, and for good reason. The marriage of healthcare and technology has intertwined the two industries forever by improving patient care throughout the pandemic. Here are just a few ways telehealth has shaped the way Americans receive care.

1. Reduced Risk Of Exposure

Before the invention and integration of telehealth, everyone had to show up at a doctor’s office and sit in a waiting room to see a physician. During the pandemic, however, doing so would put patients at a higher risk of spreading and contracting COVID-19.

By keeping patients at home and virtually screening them for COVID-19 symptoms, physicians could determine who they truly needed to see in person and who they could diagnose from afar. Ultimately, this extra step kept both patients and staff safe. It also freed up rooms and supplies for patients who needed in-person care.

2. Expanded Patient Access

Because so many people were trying to avoid doctors’ offices during the pandemic, many people who wouldn’t typically use telehealth began to receive virtual care. For instance, those with autoimmune disorders and other chronic health conditions began to rely on remote visits to protect their own health and safety. Meanwhile, older populations who may have been stuck at home or in nursing homes began to use mobile phones and computers to meet with doctors.

Now, telehealth is expanding access to even more people as those in rural communities and poor urban communities start to use online chats, video calls and other included services. In doing so, they’ll pay less for transportation and enjoy shorter wait times. Of course, there are still shortcomings, such as a lack of broadband access in some low-income communities. However, the healthcare and technology industries are working overtime to close these gaps and further expand access in the coming years.

3. More Effective Communication

Telehealth has also improved patient care by providing opportunities for more effective communication. For instance, when a patient and doctor meet one-on-one in a telemedicine encounter, the physician is completely free of all the typical distractions in a busy medical office. Subsequently, they’re able to give the patient their full attention. Meanwhile, the patient is enjoying the comfort of their own home, which may prompt them to share more information or be honest about symptoms of illness and medication use.

Virtual visits also allow for more frequent communication, especially between doctors and patients with acute or ongoing conditions. In this instance, following up after a visit is as easy as hopping on your laptop and chatting through the screen. During this time, the physician can share lab tests and diagnostic imaging results face-to-face.

4. Remote Health Monitoring

Wearables that monitor heart rate, oxygen levels, blood sugar levels and other health factors have also gained popularity throughout the pandemic. These devices allow physicians to remotely monitor patients’ vital signs and, in some cases, receive an alert if their levels fluctuate outside of a healthy range. This technology is especially helpful for patients with chronic conditions and those who require 24/7 monitoring.

Patients who are on medications for long-term treatment may also benefit from monitoring. If everything is going well, an in-person appointment may be unnecessary. However, a quick video chat may be the perfect way to check in and ensure the treatment is still effective. The physician may also inquire as to whether the patient has developed any side effects so they can prescribe a different medication if need be.

5. Increased Autonomy

Telehealth has also given patients more autonomy and allowed them to take ownership of the healthcare they receive. Patients have the freedom to make appointments that suit their schedules. They have access to digital test results and health records. More people can use this technology to meet with providers outside of their area, which might help them find more affordable services.

Thus, patients become more involved in their healthcare plans. Their engagement can help them make better decisions regarding their health. In this way, telehealth can empower them to take better care of both their physical and mental well-being.

The Future of Telehealth 

In the coming years, you’ll likely see automation play a key role in telehealth improving patient care. More providers will integrate telehealth into their systems to provide a more cohesive, patient-centered experience. In all turns, patient care will remain the focus so you can feel empowered and take better control of your health.

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.