The healthcare sector is changing to fit the expectations of patients in the fast-paced, time-constrained world of today, where convenience is king. Online doctor consultation has become increasingly prevalent in recent years due to its significant advancements. Thanks to the emergence of the best healthcare platforms and online healthcare services, patients can now conveniently connect with healthcare professionals without leaving their homes. Let's delve into the myriad benefits that online doctor consultation brings to the table.

What is an Online Doctor Consultation?

The term "online doctor consultation" refers to consulting with a medical professional through a computer, smartphone, or tablet that is linked to the internet. Instead of going to a clinic and meeting a doctor in person, people can talk about their health problems and get diagnoses, treatment suggestions, prescriptions, and medical advice through various healthcare apps. In recent times, consulting with doctors online has become increasingly popular due to their convenience, accessibility, and efficiency, especially for individuals who may have difficulty accessing traditional healthcare services due to geographical constraints, time limitations, or mobility issues.

Benefits of Online Doctor Consultation

• Accessibility: One of the major benefits of online doctor consultation is how easily accessible it is. Patients now have the freedom to access healthcare services at their convenience, without being restricted by location or appointment availability. This is particularly advantageous for people residing in remote locations or those with limited mobility who may face difficulties in accessing a conventional doctor's office.
• Convenience: say goodbye to long waits in crowded waiting rooms and the inconvenience of traveling to and from appointments. Online doctor consultation provides outstanding convenience, enabling patients to easily book consultations at their preferred times, and dates. With just a few clicks, patients can easily connect with doctors for quick follow-up consultations or to seek medical advice for minor ailments.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Online doctor consultations can also result in savings for patients. Online consultations offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional healthcare settings by eliminating travel expenses and cutting down overhead costs.
• Privacy and Confidentiality: The privacy concern frequently discourages people from seeking medical care, particularly for sensitive matters. Online doctor consultation offers a private platform for patients to openly discuss their health concerns, ensuring confidentiality and eliminating any worries about getting judged. Patients can have peace of mind knowing that their personal health information is kept confidential through reliable platforms.
• Seamless Consistency of Care: Online doctor consultation allows patients to easily stay connected with their doctors, even in the face of challenges like travel restrictions or busy schedules. Online consultations provide patients with continuous support and medical guidance, whether it's for routine check-ups, medication refills, or observing chronic conditions.
• Specialized Care: Healthcare platforms frequently provide access to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including specialists. Patients have the convenience of seeking expert medical advice and second opinions without the hassle of referrals or long wait times. Online doctor consultation provides access to a diverse range of specialized care options, including consulting with doctors from multiple specializations.

In the era of digital advancements, online doctor consultation is paving the way for the future of healthcare delivery. Thanks to advancements in technology that are constantly improving and providing innovative solutions like remote monitoring, digital prescriptions, and telecommunications. Through the growth of technology, online doctor consultations can completely transform the way we obtain and engage with healthcare.

Online doctor consultation provides numerous advantages that meet the changing needs and preferences of today's patients. It also offers a range of benefits, including accessibility, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and specialized care. They empower individuals to take control of their health in a way that is efficient and patient-centric. In the dynamic world of healthcare, adopting to telemedicine and advanced healthcare is not only convenient but also a crucial move towards creating a healthcare system that is more accessible, inclusive, and focused on the needs of patients.

The internet has become an essential component of our everyday lives in today's world. We can get everything online from buying groceries to booking flights. The convenience and accessibility of the internet have revolutionized the way we live and interact with the world. It has opened endless possibilities for communication, learning, and entertainment. Therefore, it is no surprise that ordering medicine online has also become a common practice for many people. However, Prioritizing the legitimacy and safety of online medicine orders is essential to mitigate potential risks and prevent the purchase of unauthorized medicines. If you already buy or thinking about to buying medicines online, this blog may be helpful for you. We have outlined six things that should be noted before ordering medicines online. Let us get started.

1. Keep your Valid Prescription Handy

Genuine pharmacies will always request a prescription before dispensing any medicines. Whether you buy medicine online or from a local retail pharmacy, it is always advisable to have the prescription with you. If an online pharmacy does not request you a prescription, it is best to avoid such websites.

2. Contact Information

Verify that the contact information given by the service provider includes an accurate physical address and a customer service channel. Having accurate contact details is important because it enables customers to easily reach out for any inquiries, concerns, or support they may need.

3. Find Out if that Website or App is Legally Selling the Medicines 

When buying medicines online, it is essential to check that the website or app is reliable and provides quality medicines. This can be done by examining the handling and storage of medicine. 

In addition, it is important to ensure the genuineness, expiration date, and proper handling of medicines at every stage, starting from storage and continuing through medicine delivery.

4. Check Privacy and Security Concerns Before Placing Order

Make sure that the website is secure (e.g., HTTPS), uses encryption, and has a transparent privacy policy before providing personal and medical information. This gives you peace of mind that your personal and medical data is safe. In addition, it is beneficial to read customer reviews and ratings as they provide valuable insights into the platform's reliability and customer satisfaction.

5. Check for Prices

The prices of medicines online may differ from the prices at local retail pharmacies. Online pharmacies offer discounts and cashback on medicine orders, making it a wise choice to compare them with offline pharmacies. By checking for cashback and discounts on medicines, you can save money on your medical expenses. 

NOTE

If you experience any unexpected side effects from medicine that was ordered online, consult a doctor immediately. Do not accept any orders where the package has been tampered with or the seal broken. 

Before ordering medicines online, it is essential to consider all the things listed above. Ordering medicines online not only helps you save money on medical expenses but also provides you with a seamless experience. Buying medicines online is equivalent to buying medicines at physical retail pharmacies if you choose a genuine and the right platform. HealthSy provides a convenient and seamless experience for users. One of its key advantages is the ability to easily refill prescriptions and healthcare orders online at your desired frequency. Additionally, HealthSy prioritizes the safety and authenticity of medicines by partnering with licensed pharmacies and implementing strict quality control measures. 

As we are still cooling down the flames of change of that covid has bought in, where the entire planet has switched to everything being online and digital, from education to shopping to healthcare. India has been witnessing accelerated growth in technological and digital innovations in healthcare sector which includes telemedicine, digital prescriptions, and personal health record management. etc. 

A new technological  healthcare launch, which is low-cost and is highly accessible, has been instigated by the ambitious Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)  and National Health Stack. Known as “phygital” (physical+digital) is all set to create an all-inclusive array of novel passages for providing care that is likely to reduce cost of care and immensely expand access, quality of care, and patient experience.

Ayushman Bharath Health Account, formerly known as digital health card, was launched by the Central Government of India, on September 27^th 2021, under the ABDM scheme. Developed with the aim to provide health coverage in an effective and anodyne method, and needle-crafting ways into the integrated digital health structure. This decision by the Ministry for Health and Family Welfare to launch digital health ID, speaks for the Indian Government, in initiating promising measures to assimilate along with the digitally evolving world.

ABHA to the rescue

Customary doctor visits include carrying bulkier files of report, scans etc., this becomes even more hectic when consulting one doctor to the other. Meanwhile, it’s also a tad bit of a hard task for the doctors to go through each hardcopy of scans and reports and get a complete picture, given the limited time they have for consulting patients. Well!! To make the entire process hassle-free, we have ABHA for everyone’s rescue.

ABHA is a 14-digit health ID, and identifies one as a participant in India’s digital health care ecosystem (NDHE). This unique identity is accepted by all healthcare providers across the country. ABDM, under which ABHA has been launched, provides a standardised system, which enables access and sharing of medical information, called the National Digital Health Ecosystem (NDHE).

This enables a doctor to access all medical information (test reports, prescriptions, scans) across all hospitals, clinics, and even at new localities. This access option is provided to the viewer, only after consent is granted. The consent can also be rescinded, and this stands as key feature of the card.

Also, provides the users with a detailed compilation of doctors, government and private medical facilities all over India, which can be accessed through the Healthcare Professional registry and Health Facility registry.

Apart from allopathic treatment, ABHA card is valid to avail treatment and treatment facilities in AYUSH ( Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy).

Economic aspects of ABHA

- Likewise, the information that can be accessed from anywhere, the benefits too are portable all over India. The beneficiary amount that is covered under this scheme, can also be utilised as cashless subsidies at any empanelled hospital (public & private) across the country.

- The main objective of this mission is to have a vital effect on reducing out of the pocket (OOP) expenditures, which is based on the following ground

- Coverage of 5 lakhs per family, with no restriction in family size

- Wraps almost all secondary and many of the tertiary hospitalization

- Increased benefit covers to ~40% of the population (poorest and vulnerable

The aforementioned facts, gratifies to the set of population, whose necessities are unmet and has been veiled due to shortage of financial resources. This scheme is targeted to provide superior and in time treatments, improve health outcome and patient satisfaction, all of which will lead to develop a qualitative life led by one.

How to apply??

Applying for ABHA is a hassle free process which can be done online by following the link- https://abha.abdm.gov.in/register  Or through ABDM participating facility and is absolutely free of cost. Though the process may require one or more of the following information:

Aadhar Number

Driving Licence Number (for generating the number)

PAN number

Mobile number

After applying, one can avail their health ID card through the following ways:

1) ABHA mobile application

2) Official website: @healthid.ndhm.gov.in

3) Health centre offering assistance and facilities for online registration and availing of the health ID card

4) Through third applications like Paytm

The ability of ABHA to interoperate in healthcare-tech platforms can lower the expenditure by a huge margin and significantly aids physicians in diagnosing and treating patients. The major key points are- entirely secure and encrypted, complete private interfaces with user consents at every step, voluntary activation and deactivation. ABHA is the face of advanced innovation in healthcare, just like how UPI changed the way through which we pay. 

When patients have access to affordable medicines, they continue taking it for as long as possible and select generic drugs, which are more accessible with an e-prescription and more likely to be accepted by the patient's insurance. So, if a patient spends less, it is more likely that they will stick with the treatment that their doctor has given them.

The digital prescription helps us keep track of consultation dates and appointments. The healthcare provider stores our medical records in a secure location.

An electronic prescription simplifies the process of filling a prescription for another person. This functionality was beneficial when people were in isolation or quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in this kind of scenario, patients could not physically visit the pharmacy. Acquiring each prescription drug from an independent pharmacy is one of the advantages of e-prescriptions for patients. This facility will make it easier for patients to collect all their prescription medications independently, and it will not affect how long a patient stays on therapy based on the pharmacy's stock.

Patients who are ill, injured, or elderly can save time and money by simply transmitting the prescription to their local pharmacist rather than going to the pharmacy to hand them their physical Rx, and it is also simple to purchase medicines using legitimate mobile applications. 

The Indian healthcare system is advanced, but it is not yet fully digital. Our healthcare system still relies on paper-based physical records rather than digital records and after COVID-19, more Indian doctors started using e-prescription, which is more secure and helps in a patient's complete treatment, and the medical records are maintained and secured by the healthcare provider. E-prescription simplifies the entire prescription process, increasing patient satisfaction by saving time, reducing medicine and dosage errors, and standardizing the entire prescription process. E-prescriptions reduce the risks associated with traditional prescription writing and medical errors.

Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients via telecommunications technology that has the potential to improve access to healthcare in resource-constrained areas. World Health Organization (WHO) has defined telemedicine as, “the delivery of healthcare services, where distance is a critical factor, by all healthcare professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of healthcare providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.”

Simply put, Telemedicine is an effortless way of providing medical care remotely from the comfort of home, mostly through video chat, which benefits both the doctors and the patients. The word “Telemedicine” can be literally translated to “healing at a distance.”

eSanjeevani – Telemedicine in India

eSanjeevani is the first government-run online OPD (outpatient department) consultation service in India, which aims in providing telehealthcare services to patients in their homes through online mode. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched the scheme in November 2019. Few states like Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu etc. have started offering specialised telemedicine consultation services, which is available on the mobile application.

The Union Health Ministry's National Telemedicine Service, eSanjeevani, has reached another important milestone by reaching six million (60 lakh) consultations through more than 375 online OPDs. Every day, more than 40,000 patients use this innovative digital medium to communicate to more than 1600 doctors and specialists. The National Telemedicine Service is functioning in 31 States / Union Territories presently.

Current Scenario of Telemedicine in India

WHO recommends a doctor-population ratio of 1:1000 while the current doctor population ratio in India is only 0.62:1000. Training of new physicians is time consuming and expensive, hence the doctor to patient ratio is expected to remain low for a long time to come. This deficit is partly being made up by the active telemedicine services in various parts of the country.

MoHFW has created Electronic Health Records (EHR) standards in 2013 and a revised version of the same in 2016 to guarantee the security of transmitted data during telemedicine procedures. In India, the use of telemedicine has spread beyond the realm of Western medicine into the realm of traditional medicine. Using technology, the National Rural AYUSH Telemedicine Network hopes to provide access to traditional medical practices.

AROGYASREE is another internet-based mobile telemedicine conglomerate that integrates multiple hospitals, mobile medical specialists, and rural mobile clinics. It is a typical telemedicine system made up of a small group of hospitals that use nodal centres to provide remote health care services to a small amount of people. But in developing countries like India, where most people live in rural areas and do not have access to specialist care, we see a need for larger Internet-based telemedicine systems that would allow a large group of doctors and hospitals to work together to provide health care to entire population. This project is an initiative of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Uses

Telemedicine can be an effective alternative when a patient is unable or unwilling to travel to a healthcare facility. For conditions that can be treated without a visit to the lab or an examination, telemedicine is a feasible option. Certain sorts of long-term care, such as psychotherapy, can even be provided via telemedicine.

When there are some barriers in seeking the physical treatment, for in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic, Telemedicine is of a significant use for the patients who live far away from the medical care systems.

Doctors and patients can use telemedicine to,

• Determine whether the patient needs the treatment in person
• Provide medical care such as mental health treatment or evaluation for minor infections
• Prescribe or renew the medication
• Provide therapy such as physical or speech therapy.
  

Benefits

Reduced Overhead Expenses

Few research suggests that people who use telemedicine result in saving an amount of money in the means of transportation and childcare. Healthcare providers who offer telemedicine services also get benefited by fewer overhead costs including the office space, office desk, etc...

Less Exposure to Illness and Infectious Diseases

Telehealth consultations allow doctors to pre-screen patients for potential infectious disease, which can help reduce the transmission of diseases like COVID-19, the flu, and others. Everyone benefits from reduced contact with infectious diseases, but those who are chronically unwell, pregnant, old, or otherwise immune-compromised benefit the most.

Convenience

Telemedicine allows people to access care from the comfort of their home without travelling to the doctor’s place. They do not have to wait for hours for the appointment. Virtual visits can be easier and more convenient to fit into one’s busy schedule.

Easy access to people in rural areas

Despite the number of advantages of rural life, quick access to medical care is not always a benefit. Telemedicine allows patients to see a doctor fast even if they do not live close to a clinic.

Online Psychiatric Support

The spread of COVID-19 has limited patients' accesses to in-person psychotherapy. People suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, or any number of other mental health concerns can now begin or continue receiving therapy virtually because of the advancements in Telemedicine. Those in need of immediate mental health care, particularly those at risk for self-harm, have 24/7 access to therapists and psychiatrists.

Reduced Anxiety

Unfortunately, many people avoid medical care because they loathe visiting doctors. Phobias like agoraphobia may prohibit people from seeking help in particular situations. Using telehealth, one can get answers to their queries and contact medical professionals without leaving their house.

While telemedicine has its own limitations, it also has the potential to play a significant role in resolving a wide variety of issues since it is a convenient option for people who do not want to go to the doctor’s place and prefer to stay at home. Telemedicine now allows you to consult a doctor remotely from the convenience of your home!