The rise of telehealth – also known as telemedicine – has benefited everyone across the board. Whether you’re very young or very old, the ability to touch base with a physician regardless of time or location is a tremendous advantage in regards to achieving optimum health and wellness.
Having said that, recent events have led to telehealth services having added value for women of reproductive age. Given the existing setbacks women face when it comes to receiving adequate medical treatment, telemedicine may turn out to be a game changer in terms of equal rights in healthcare.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at six specific benefits of telehealth services for women:
Access
Given recent setbacks in the United States regarding a woman’s reproductive rights, the single greatest benefit of telehealth for women is undoubtedly the access it provides. For example, women can get birth control online as well as other forms of contraceptives.
Since states now have the power to restrict access to these wellness products, telehealth allows women to continue relying on contraceptives as a part of their overall sexual health. Combined with the general increase in access granted thanks to telemedicine, it’s no surprise more women are taking advantage of telehealth services.
Privacy
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how much HIPAA and other laws back privacy protections; there’s no way to completely prevent someone from determining someone else’s medical history. For instance, your neighbor might drive by the clinic and see you enter.
Or, if you live in a small town, gossip will fill the gaps regardless of one’s right to privacy. But with telehealth services, women no longer have to fear being outed for their choice in healthcare decisions. Once again, this is on top of the overall added privacy granted to all patients thanks to the development of telemedicine.
Safety
We seem to be living in an increasingly hostile world, where acts of violence against those we disagree with is being encouraged by deviant minds. Women faced with certain types of health and wellness concerns must factor that risk into the equation when they decide to enter and exit specific types of clinics.
But thanks to telehealth, women can skip the clinic and consult a licensed physician from the privacy of their own homes. In doing so, they all but eliminate the danger that comes with relying on clinics surrounded by agitated protesters.
Affordability
The bottom line is that any system that streamlines the healthcare process is bound to be cheaper for everyone, including patients. Especially if you’re paying out of pocket, telemedicine will help women save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on medical costs over the course of their lives. Considering the constant battle women must fight to be paid as much as men – and the reduced income that entails – any way to save money on healthcare is a win for women everywhere.
Convenience
It’s hard to argue against the added convenience of telehealth systems. Working women must otherwise take time off to make their doctor’s appointments. While certain exams and procedures will always need to be done in person, the bulk of provider-patient interactions can be done over video conferencing instead of inside an examination room. It’s just one more way telemedicine is beneficial to women.
Consistency
As mentioned previously, the future of a woman’s reproductive rights is now uncertain. It depends on many factors, including age, where they live, and even what they do for a living – since quality health insurance remains elusive save for those with higher-end careers.
With all this considered, telehealth provides some level of consistency for women around the United States and around the world. Clinics and even hospitals may be unable to guarantee certain health and wellness services to women in the coming years, whereas telehealth systems are always accessible and affordable.
Telemedicine has been good for everyone, but especially for women in the United States. It provides us with options that would otherwise be unavailable depending on various factors.
While there are plenty of kinks to work out when it comes to telemedicine, the same can be said for medicine in general. As we march deeper into the 21st century, telehealth will undoubtedly become the predominant form of first-round medical treatment for women around the world.
