Telehealth vs Telemedicine – What’s the Difference?

Telehealth vs Telemedicine – Overview

Telehealth and telemedicine are often confusing for people. Though they are similar and often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between them.

Telehealth is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of clinical and non-clinical services delivered through digital communication technologies, not limited to audio and video.

On the other hand, telemedicine is more specific and is part of telehealth. Telemedicine specifically refers to the remote delivery of clinical healthcare services through telecommunications technologies.

In this article, we will take a deeper look at the difference between telehealth and telemedicine, along with their benefits and advantages.

What is Telehealth

Telehealth is a broad term and includes various types of healthcare services provided to patients using digital technology. This also includes telemedicine.

Telehealth encompasses both clinical and non-clinical healthcare services delivered online, including virtual visits, patient education, professional training, and healthcare communication via the internet. Commonly, telehealth utilizes email, text, streaming media and video-conferencing technology to provide telehealth services.

Telehealth also includes mobile health (mHealth). This refers to using healthcare apps or other digital programs designed for a mobile phone. For instance, there are numerous apps that allow your smartphone or tablet to manage your health condition, set reminders for appointments, create medication schedules, monitor blood pressure and even use wearable devices.

What is Telemedicine

Telemedicine, a subset of telehealth, specifically focuses on the online delivery of healthcare services by professionals to patients in different locations. These services also include a virtual visit from certified healthcare professionals but do not include any non-clinical services.

Healthcare professionals usually use email, text, video-conferencing, and online patient portals to communicate with patients while providing telemedicine services.

What is the difference between Telehealth vs Telemedicine

The primary distinction is that telehealth is a broad category that includes telemedicine among its applications. Telehealth refers to services beyond a virtual doctor’s visit. It includes administrative processes and medical consultations in healthcare facilities and basically covers every healthcare activity performed using digital technology.

What is the difference between Telehealth vs Telemedicine?

Telemedicine is a sub-type of telehealth. It includes medical services that are delivered by a healthcare provider to patients using the internet. Think of telemedicine as a virtual visit from your healthcare provider with real-time interaction in the comfort of your home while your doctor diagnoses and treats you from their clinic.

To put it in plain words, Telemedicine involves remote clinical services provided by a healthcare professional to a patient without in-person contact.

In addition, telehealth encompasses:

Training healthcare providers
Conducting administrative meetings for healthcare facilities (hospitals, healthcare systems)
Continuing education for healthcare professionals
Managing health-tracking devices

What are Examples of Telehealth and Telemedicine

Here are some examples of Telehealth vs. Telemedicine to help you understand better.

Examples of Telemedicine

Telemedicine usually includes the following healthcare services that are provided over the Internet:

Regular physicals and annual wellness check-ups
Eye exams
Medication prescriptions and prescription refills
Nutrition counseling
Urgent care (for certain conditions, like rashes, back pain, UTI, etc.)
Mental health counseling
Remote health monitoring (blood pressure, heart rate, etc.)

Examples of Telehealth

Telehealth services encompass all telemedicine activities, as well as additional non-clinical services such as:

Healthcare providers use secure e-mail to send patient exam notes, x-rays, and medical history to a specialist for consulting purposes
Conducting medical education lectures online for healthcare providers
Online meetings between healthcare professionals to coordinate patient care using video-conferencing technology
Using health tracking apps on smart devices
Using apps on mobile or tablet that alert or notify of a disease outbreak

What are the Benefits and Advantages of Telehealth and Telemedicine

Telehealth and telemedicine have made it extremely convenient for healthcare providers and patients to provide and receive care.

Telehealth/Telemedicine Benefits for Patients

Virtual visits through telehealth are incredibly convenient and noticeably less expensive. For patients, this means receiving care without traveling to the doctor’s office and accessing healthcare when the provider is away. This results in several advantages for the patient, such as:

Avoiding driving time and sitting in waiting rooms
Booking appointments and seeing the healthcare provider promptly
Receiving healthcare services without having to take off time from work
Avoiding exposure to infectious diseases from other patients in the doctor’s waiting room
Being more involved in their healthcare process as reaching a healthcare provider is easier
Saving money by avoiding traveling costs for an in-person appointment at the clinic

Telehealth/Telemedicine Benefits for Healthcare Providers

Telehealth is also immensely useful for healthcare providers to offer more accessible, affordable, and convenient care. By using telehealth and telemedicine technology, healthcare providers can:

Treat more patients over a wider geographic area
Use remote monitoring devices to help patients manage their health conditions
Get patient data quicker and more efficiently from other healthcare professionals
Communicate more effectively and work in better coordination with other professionals
Help patients avoid unnecessary emergency room or clinic visits

Conclusion

Telehealth and telemedicine are intertwined. Telehealth includes a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical activities conducted by healthcare professionals using digital technology, of which telemedicine is a small but significant part. You can simply ask your regular doctor if they provide telehealth or telemedicine services and receive efficient, affordable, and convenient healthcare at home.

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Telehealth vs Telemedicine – What’s the Difference