Seniors Favor Telehealth

According to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), telehealth is defined as "the delivery of healthcare, health education, and health information services via remote technologies." Basically, telehealth (sometimes called telemedicine) lets you see your healthcare provider without going to their office. Live video conferencing, mobile health apps, "store and forward" electronic transmission, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) are some of the technologies used in telehealth.

Telehealth was originally developed to provide basic care to rural and underserved patients. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), telehealth expanded quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now standard in many practices. It has continued to gain popularity with patients due to the ease of use, usual decreased cost, and decreased travel time. According to a 2022 report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37% of adults used telemedicine in the previous year. The same report showed that 43.3% of patients aged 65 or older had used telemedicine, compared with just 29.4% of patients 18-29 years old.

Telehealth offers a convenient and cost-effective way to deliver health care services to older adults who have mobility and transportation limitations, which make it more difficult to get to a health care provider's office. The NIH list two additional benefits to telehealth: reducing deferred care (which increases timely care) and enhancing communication with caregivers and patients. Both benefits increase positive patient outcomes.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), while most patients aged 65 or older prefer in-person care, the majority reported that they were satisfied with the care they have received via telehealth. Telemedicine can empower senior citizens to take charge of their health, offering a level of independence in managing their medical needs from the comfort of their homes. The study, published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, said, "Participants reported being satisfied with the convenience of telemedicine, the ability to connect, the effort made to help them understand their health issues, the quality of the video, the privacy, and the duration of the visit." Patients also greatly favored telemedicine when they already had a good relationship with the doctor.

While technology has definitely become more widespread, a digital divide still exists. This can disproportionately affect older adults who may not be as familiar or comfortable with the technology. Those who lack the necessary devices or internet connectivity will have limited access to telehealth appointments. According to the AMA, among those 65 or older who were scheduled to have a video visit with their primary care physician, 27% reported that they had to convert to a phone-only visit because of technical difficulties.

In addition, more seniors have hearing or vision impairments than the younger population, which could negatively impact a telehealth appointment. However, there are a growing number of resources available to help patients address their hearing and visual limitations - including screen readers, voice-to-text programs, and programs with closed captioning options.

Not all patients or clinical situations are appropriate for a telemedicine evaluation. Examples include situations where patients are unable to have a private conversation, patients lack decision-making capacity, or an in-person physical examination is necessary to yield information essential for clinical decision-making.

In the fast-paced world of technological advancements, the healthcare sector has not been left behind. By understanding both the benefits and drawbacks to telemedicine, we can work towards a future where telehealth is an inclusive and effective component of our healthcare system, catering to the diverse needs of individuals, including our senior citizens.