There are many factors that determine patient burden. For one, hardly anyone enjoys visiting the doctor’s office. Many people wait as long as possible before a condition worsens to the point where medical care is urgent. Others avoid medical care altogether because they simply don’t want to deal with making an appointment, waiting for that appointment, sitting in the waiting room with other sick people, and only receiving a few minutes of their physician’s undivided attention. This behavior has rapidly increased with the effects of COVID-19 on society, and has always been very high with patients who believe they may suffer from an STI or another sexually transmitted disease, due to the stigma of those conditions and sharing the symptoms with a doctor. 

Remote diagnostic testing alleviates many of those issues and eases the burden on patients, while efficiently increasing the number of touchpoints between patients and their doctors. Many medical practices are currently seeking remote diagnostic offerings and trying to find the best solutions for their patient population. Here are the perks of using remote diagnostics that ultimately lowers barriers to care for your patients.,

Ease of use

Patients appreciate convenience. Intuitive patient portals, options for phone or video chat appointments, and email correspondence all allow patients to receive high-quality care with a few clicks of a button. The process feels much more streamlined and efficient than that of traditional appointment settings. Remote diagnostic testing platforms, like Ash, also can offer effective and accurate testing at home for patients. This leads to an incredible and easy customer experience. 

Safety and social distancing 

Patients concerned about COVID-19 are more likely to sign up for telehealth appointments than they are to come into a doctor’s office for an in-person visit. Doctor’s offices (and especially waiting rooms) are often filled with sick people, a notion that scares people away from seeking care. Especially when an illness or injury seems minor, wary patients might choose to skip the appointment altogether if a telehealth option is not available. 

Destigmatizing sexual health

Modern and growing medical facilities are focusing on destigmatizing sexual health. They believe it is important to make patients feel comfortable about sharing their sexual health symptoms and issues. They understand that patients feel much more comfortable doing this remotely, as they are most comfortable in their own home, and feel like they are on an equal footing with the doctor, with whom they are sharing their symptoms with.

Fluid communication

Telehealth portals make patients feel as if their physicians are accessible. In the traditional appointment style, patients wait for days, weeks, or even months for a 10–30-minute appointment in the office. After that appointment is over, they often leave feeling just as alone as they did beforehand, especially if their problem was not solved during the visit. 

Remote diagnostics platforms increase accessibility by providing easy ways to email, call, or video chat with a doctor at a moment’s notice. Knowing a doctor is just a short text or call away can be extremely comforting to patients dealing with chronic or scary conditions on an outpatient basis. The other benefit of remote diagnostic offerings is the comprehensive way that patient outcomes can be improved, through a seamless customer experience and remote technologies. Market leaders like Ash have developed an end-to-end offering that allows patients to see their doctor of choice and have their consultations, testing and their treatment be supplied to them from the comfort of their own home. This truly is the future of medicine in a post-pandemic world.