Telehealth For The Win! | Health - Yellow Scene Magazine

Photo credit: Luke Chesser, Unsplash

2022 is a year of telehealth and technology.

There has been and will continue to be a surge in health wearables to track blood pressure, blood sugar, mood, physical activity, and even tone of voice. In 2023, there will be more new ways to help manage disease and disability while promoting activity and ability. With all this data, what do we do with it, how do we use it, and where does it need to be relevant?

Telehealth will be the answer to all the questions above.

I encourage you to look at parts of your life that you want to improve. Take note of how much time you can save by meeting with a coach, a doctor, a dietitian, a nurse, or a counselor to build better health into your life right where you are, at home and online. The efficiency of telehealth is an amazing resource that can change the world. There are so many times that a call to a professional is sufficient to discuss a health solution and a visit isn’t always necessary. And yes, there are also times a visit is necessary. Giving birth isn’t so easy virtually…

The positive impacts of a virtual visit can:

decrease disease or injury risk in some populations
decrease a carbon footprint and decrease car travel
empower people to feel more comfortable talking about health from the comfort of home
create access for people with transportation or financial inequity
improve self efficacy in individuals with chronic health conditions
promote a positive relationship around health outside a doctor’s office
make fitness less intimidating when done individually at home and online instead of in a gym
make eating well easier with online cooking classes
make healthcare more affordable and professionals can work anywhere and anytime

There are so many benefits with a list that can go on. I am confident that in the future, we will even grow more to improve health with virtual reality and augmented reality. Are you as excited and nervous as I am? Good! Let’s all do this together and figure out better ways to be healthy and get out of our comfort zones together.