FDIC-Insured – Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. GovernmentWhy Telehealth May Be the Future of Medicine
| Posted in Bank Blogs
You may not need to go to the doctor’s office to stay healthy.
Visiting healthcare professionals via video or phone—a practice commonly known as telehealth—spiked during the pandemic, but it is clearly here to stay. In fact, a recent report found that telehealth can save people money and time and benefit the Earth.
Telehealth Study
The study, by UC Davis Health researchers, included data from California health systems over two years. The team included data from:
- UC Davis
- UC San Francisco
- UC Los Angeles
- UC Irvine
- UC San Diego
Telehealth Considerations. The collective teams considered the following:
- Round-trip distances
- Emissions
- Travel time
- Travel costs
- Avoidable injuries and fatalities
Telehealth Saves Time and Money
The team found that, in total, telehealth saved patients:
- 204 years of travel time
- $33,540,244 travel-related expenses
Not only that, but telehealth prevented 42 injuries and 0.7 fatalities. On a more granular level, telehealth appointments saved the average person from having to travel 17 miles, as well as spend 35 minutes getting back and forth, and saved them about $11 per visit.
Telehealth Helps the Environment
The team at UC Davis found that telehealth was also good for the environment. With fewer cars on the road going to doctor visits, emissions were reduced by 21,466 metric tons. That’s equivalent to a year’s electricity emissions from 4,000 homes.
Do One Thing: Consider a telehealth appointment when an in-person visit isn’t necessary. It can be beneficial to you and the environment.
Author: Chris O'Shea