While telemedicine adoption has increased across the U.S. in recent years, COVID-19 and social distancing have accelerated its transition from a convenience to a necessity.
And it’s likely to become the norm: in 2019, just 11 percent of U.S. patients had tried telemedicine, while 76 percent are now “interested” in trying it. Furthermore, the number of virtual healthcare interactions is expected to exceed 1 billion by the end of 2020.
While in-person appointments will still be crucial for serious situations or in cases demanding a hands-on examination, telemedicine is a simple, convenient, safe way for doctors to evaluate members of the public face to face without putting anyone at risk.
UPbook Telemedicine is an innovative solution for any practice considering adopting a telemedicine business model, but why does it stand apart from alternatives? We explore the five key benefits below.
No downloads required for user-friendly performance
One of the core benefits UPbook Telemedicine offers any practice implementing a telemedicine business plan is the lack of downloads.
You don’t need to install any applications or platforms on your computer: everything is handled in-browser. As a result, introducing UPbook Telemedicine to your practice is a streamlined process, convenient for even the smallest team.
There’s no need to worry about installing a tool with confusing security permissions or potentially risking your network’s safety (and, by extension, that of your patients). There’s no need to hire an IT specialist to evaluate a downloadable tool and verify its reliability. Just follow the registration process and you’ll be ready to leverage our platform through Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.
And on the subject of patients, UPbook Telemedicine is designed to be as user friendly as possible. We’ve built our platform carefully to ensure it aligns with the needs of a diverse user base and caters to various age groups. We understand how intimidating — even frightening — accessing services online can be for people with little to no experience of the internet.
By keeping such fears and hesitations in mind, we’ve created a platform that everyone can use comfortably. Very little is required of your patients: your registered business can simply send a link to each patient as required. When they follow the link with one click, patients gain access to your private waiting room.
Adapting to video interactions can be especially difficult for senior citizens new to the concept of online communication platforms, but if any patient would prefer to speak with a physician via audio only, they can opt to not enable their camera.
This offers greater flexibility and peace of mind for any patient unfamiliar with video conferencing. UPbook Telemedicine’s simple design and streamlined layout provides reliable accessibility for users at all levels.
However, audio-only discussions may be less than ideal for the physician in certain circumstances. For example, if a patient describes an injury or an unexpected mark on their body, a visual examination is incredibly advantageous. The patient could struggle to articulate the shape, texture, size, and other crucial aspects of the issue accurately.
So, in such cases, it might be best to discuss the merits of a video call rather than an audio-based interaction ahead of an appointment. Otherwise, the patient could struggle to receive the insights they expect until they’re willing to partake in a video call or visit a physician in person. Fortunately, activating the camera for video calls is quick and simple.
UPbook Telemedicine has been subject to comprehensive testing and refinement before release, to maximize its accessibility. We’ll continue to monitor its performance and feedback to ensure our platform offers the highest standard of service in every aspect.
Such a tight focus on user-friendly functionality is critical in gaining patients’ support for remote consultations, as easy-to-use technology was named a major factor in patients’ decision to book telemedicine appointments by 69 percent of people surveyed.
Virtual waiting room makes patient management easy
Any practice-owner concerned about the logistics of a telemedicine business model may wonder how patients will be managed in an orderly manner online. UPbook Telemdicine’s virtual waiting room keeps the process simple for everyone — not to mention faster, more convenient, and more comfortable.
Waiting to see a physician at a brick-and-mortar practice can be time-consuming and, as a result, frustrating. Sadly, two-thirds of people questioned admit to delaying seeking medical advice for a health concern, and for 23 percent of them, the problem is that seeing a doctor takes too long.
Leaving a health concern unchecked for any reason could lead to potential problems down the line, so it’s sad to discover that patients would choose to avoid making an appointment simply because they find waiting to be seen so off-putting.
When combined with the revelation that 13 percent feel they’re too busy to make time for a consultation with a physician, it’s clear that people want (and need) a faster way to access medical assistance without the excessive wait times, and which aligns with their schedule.
When the average in-office visit to a physician carves a chunk of around 120 minutes out of a patient’s day, finding a slot in a packed day would be hard for anyone working full-time with responsibilities to consider. And it’s all the more problematic when we realize that just 20 minutes out of those two hours is actually spent interacting with the doctor.
Telemedicine is the right solution for patients tired of feeling as if visiting a trusted physician is a waste of time. Scheduling a virtual consultation with a doctor enables them to stay at home or at the office without traveling to the practice, whether that would be by car, train, ferry, etc. And because the service is accessed in-browser, patients can continue to work, study, etc. while they’re in the virtual waiting room.
Never before has meeting with a doctor and receiving professional attention been so convenient. And none of the common irritants of conventional waiting rooms are present, either — no screaming children, no outdated magazines, no awkward conversations with strangers.
UPbook Telemedicine’s virtual meeting room is designed to offer physicians a simpler solution, too. They can see which patients are online and initiate a call all in one page: it’s almost the same as looking out into a brick-and-mortar waiting room and inviting a patient to step into the office in person.
To initiate a call, simply hover over the name of the patient you wish to interact with and click either the phone or camera icon. Once the patient accepts the call, the conversation will begin. It’s seamless.
UPbook Telemedicine’s hassle-free design ensures it can be introduced to patients and doctors alike with minimal disruption or inconvenience.
A free telemedicine business solution
Finances are a constant concern for most practice-owners. Typical overheads, salaries, and the cost of equipment all add up month on month. And the pandemic has only exacerbated this in countless cases.
Even as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, the gradual transition to “the new normal” will incur additional expenses. Hand sanitizer, face masks, disposable gloves, disinfectants, and other everyday essentials are required to minimize the risk to patients and physicians alike. The more footfall your practice has, the more equipment will be necessary to maximize hygiene.
Implementing telemedicine into your practice is one of the best ways to keep your physicians and patients safe, but every new technology incorporated into your daily services must be considered carefully.
Costs should be calculated and, ultimately, justified. Will the product or service improve the team’s productivity and performance? Will it benefit patients? And will those patients actually respond to the new technology well?
These, and oher, questions should all be answered before choosing to invest in new technologies for your practice. Some may prove too expensive to be viable. Others could be regarded as essential.
Fortunately, cost isn’t an issue when adopting UPbook Telemedicine. As a free solution, practices of all sizes and on all budgets can incorporate this platform into daily operations with no risk of putting extra strain on your finances.
This is a stark contrast to alternative telemedicine services, such as using Zoom for Telehealth, which incurs a monthly cost of $200. That’s a substantial expense for any practice, but particularly for small ones which may already be struggling.
Practice-owners can rest assured that introducing UPbook Telemedicine is a viable free solution for interacting with patients remotely. Thanks to the user-friendly design, no time or money need be wasted training doctors on its function — UPbook Telemedicine is ready to implement immediately upon registration.
HIPAA compliant
HIPAA compliance is a crucial consideration when bringing any new online technology into your practice. The security of patient health information is paramount: any potential breaches could expose sensitive data and cause severe reputational damage.
For example, news stories covering a cyberattack at a medical practice could cause existing or potential patients to switch to another establishment immediately. Even if the story is untrue or inaccurate, the seeds of doubt would be planted in the patients’ minds, and they may see visiting the practice as too big of a risk.
This could lead to a loss of income over time, and force the practice to reduce its staff, regardless of any new security-focused initiatives that may be brought into effect to safeguard data.
Fortunately, cybersecurity was paramount when designing UPbook Telemedicine. The team keeps up to date with the latest technologies and techniques hackers utilize to breach networks, and we’ve taken every step necessary to secure the platform.
UPbook Telemedicine is fully HIPAA-compliant, for the safety of your practice, your employees, and your patients. It utilizes the latest encryption technology to protect critical information and prevent unauthorized access.
This may make all the difference in encouraging patients to schedule telemedicine appointments with your practice, especially when you can contrast it with other video communication platforms that aren’t HIPAA compliant (such as Skype).
Cutting-edge security is a fundamental aspect of the UPbook Telemedicine platform, and enables you to reassure patients who may be concerned about communicating with a doctor online.
High-quality video for high-quality interactions
Upbook Telemedicine incorporates video of the highest quality possible. Your doctors and patients will be able to see each other with total clarity, which is hugely advantageous when presenting physical complaints for examination remotely. The higher the video quality, the more accurate the doctor can be.
There are other benefits to crisp, clear video. One of which is that it helps to recreate the experience of speaking with a doctor in person authentically, with no lagging or low resolution to create a virtual barrier between the two. Physicians can read patients’ body language, present visual aids, and maintain eye contact throughout interactions without fear of the picture freezing or cutting out altogether.
Another key benefit of high-quality video connections is that every minute of an interaction is put to good use. Poor connections could lead to a loss of signal and create breaks in conversation, requiring doctors and patients to repeat themselves. This could be a major problem when multiple patients are waiting to be seen and each appointment must adhere to a strict time limit.
But with UPbook Telemedicine, none of this is an issue. Patients and physicians have access to outstanding video quality at all times. And, of course, UPbook Telemedicine provides this for free.
Certain other free telemedicine services utilized by practices may offer only video of a lower quality as standard, and charge more to unlock high-quality video. One of our goals with UPbook Telemedicine is to deliver a better, more reliable solution for practices looking to interact with patients virtually.
As telemedicine is positioned to become increasingly common in the coming months and years, there’s never been a better time to get on board.
UPbook Telemedicine is the only free option you need to consider for your telemedicine business plan. Regardless of your average patient’s age or familiarity with the latest technology, UPbook Telemedicine is easy to implement successfully.
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