How Telehealth Is Changing Smart Cities

What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth offers many options to those who are immunocompromised, have limited mobility or need distanced communication. People can talk with their doctors through a smartphone, computer or tablet to receive the information they would typically have to go in for. In addition to speaking over the phone or email, doctors can also use remote technology to obtain vital signs from their patients. This is excellent news for those who may prefer their home to the physician’s office.

Some procedures will require people to see their doctor in person, but there are many ways they can receive care remotely. Therapists can still conduct their sessions with clients if one of them is sick or can’t come in for an appointment. Someone could get their X-ray or lab results at home without returning to the office. Telehealth can also allow patients to ask physicians questions about mild illnesses or prescriptions, reducing lines.

From a doctor’s visit to making appointments for your pet, remote care gives people many more options for treatment. This is a big win for those who may have previously struggled with getting to their caregivers.

How It’s Making a Difference in Smart Cities
Smart cities rely on interconnected technology networks to provide services to the community. The inclusion of telehealth can extend these benefits in many ways.

1. Notifying Emergency Services
Think about the panic that occurs after a car accident. No one is sure who should call an ambulance or if multiple people have reported the same incident. People at the scene will likely not know how to help whoever the crash injured. Overall, mass confusion and stress often occur while people want to do their best to help.

Telehealth can help that happen. Instead of multiple individuals trying to alert emergency services of an accident, connected cars can notify first responders of an accident and where it happened. This will allow assistance to more quickly and accurately reach the scene. Additionally – with many offices making their records digital – hospitals receiving these patients will be able to access the necessary medical information. Doing so could be highly beneficial if the person is unconscious.

2. Preventing the Spread of Disease
Most people remember the fear in the early days of the pandemic. Before testing was readily available, it was hard to know where the hotspots were. Could someone at the grocery store have exposed everyone there to COVID? How many people in a given town had the virus? Not knowing the answers made it scary for people to leave their homes. The sudden lack of safety was jarring.

However, digital communication made a huge difference. Smartphones started offering notifications when places people had been reported a large spike in cases. They could even receive notice if somewhere they’d checked into also had someone say they’d tested positive. Smart cities helped minimize the spread of COVID-19 while keeping this information anonymous. Were any other major diseases to pop up, telehealth could continue to ease concerns about exposure.

3. Providing Information on Illnesses
People found it hard to learn what they should expect or do while quarantined at the beginning of the pandemic. What scientists knew about the virus was somewhat new, and communication between them and those infected needed to improve. Additionally, it was hard to find testing sites with available appointments or even know when to test.

Smart cities and telehealth were able to change that. When someone reported they had tested positive, telehealth services could contact those they’d been in contact with and notify them of their exposure. From there, they could receive information about when they should test, where they should do it and what symptoms may occur. Extending knowledge through telehealth to those who needed it most was a considerable upgrade in reducing the spread of COVID.

4. Improving Doctor Access
Receiving care is often hard in rural areas. Cities typically have quick access to a doctor’s office or urgent care, but places that aren’t urban are much more spread. This makes it challenging to find a practitioner who is easy to get to. The rural population experiences more chronic health conditions and dangerous behaviors. A lack of health care providers makes this population less likely to see a doctor for testing and injuries.

Digital visits can help rural areas receive access to care. Doctors will be able to see more patients in a day because they can streamline waiting rooms. As conditions in smart cities improve, people far away who still require help can also receive it. Doctors can address the needs of people via phone or video that may not have previously reached out for assistance with the new ability to decrease wait times.

5. Making Cities Safer
Transportation creates a lot of pollution. Being able to communicate remotely helps the world reduce its emissions. Smart cities that track the amount of pollution will notice differences in air quality. If there is a given day when the air is dirtier, telehealth can notify patients who this may affect and let them know what precautions to take. This combination can make breathing easier and improve lives.

Telehealth can change how smart cities relay information about pollution to citizens. It could teach people how to stay healthy on low-quality-air days. It can also quickly alert residents of water pollution, ways to get clean water and what kinds of contaminants there are. Smart cities find issues, and telehealth tells people how this can affect them and provide tips to stay safe.

Telehealth Is Influencing Smart Cities
Smart cities use a lot of data to make predictions. They can use telehealth information to improve the lives and care of citizens. Telehealth is making significant changes to smart cities by increasing public awareness, reaching proper authorities and making care greener.