Telemedicine has been around for quite some time, but its popularity grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare providers turned to telemedicine to ensure that patients were still able to receive quality healthcare services when lockdowns and travel restrictions were put in place.

Telemedicine — the practice of administering medical care remotely — is increasing in popularity because of its practicality. Most healthcare businesses have been implementing it for decades, but advancements in telecommunications tools have vastly improved telemedicine.

Physicians in some parts of the world still make house calls, but they are becoming rare. Today, most patients either go to a clinic or hospital, make a quick trip to a pharmacy for instant relief, or get treatment at home via telemedicine. Although this medical practice might not sound familiar to some, it has been around for years.

Telemedicine means exactly as it sounds -- a medical service delivered via telephone or any communications technology. It sounds like a new development in medicine, but it’s really not. Although there have been many great advances in healthcare, most people prefer the conventional way of getting treatment at the hospital or clinic.

Traditionally, healthcare delivery has been based on a face-to-face meeting between patients and physicians in a hospital or clinic. But the latest advancements in medical technology has altered how and where healthcare is delivered. Nowadays, patients expect to interact with physicians and receive medical recommendations and treatments via the phone and online channels - this approach is known as ‘telemedicine’. If you’re looking to improve the level of patient service and satisfaction in your healthcare business, then read on.