Telemedicine Otolaryngology

Telemedicine for ear, nose, and throat has become a necessity because of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, is very contagious and spreads through droplets of saliva from coughs and nasal discharges from sneezing. These symptoms endanger medical professionals, especially ENT doctors who often treat these symptoms.
There are also asymptomatic carriers that do not always show symptoms of the disease but are still infectious.

In response to these developments and for safety reasons, Dr. Kanwar Kelley is now offering telemedicine otolaryngology services to lower the risk of spreading the virus.

What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine was established to facilitate the treatment of patients living in remote areas or areas where there are shortages of healthcare professionals. The practice uses communication technology to perform a consultation on live video, telephone, or data-driven approach where the healthcare professional reviews the images and other relevant data to determine the patient’s condition and treatment.

Thanks to technological advances in communication technology. Telemedicine has become widespread and affordable because of how easily accessible the required tools are to the general public. Live video apps like Skype or Facetime allow patients to intuitively navigate the software for smooth remote communication between doctors and patients. Patients can now consult with their healthcare professionals through their computers and phones.

The remote nature of Telemedicine for ear, nose, and throat lowers the risk of the patient and doctors from spreading the disease or getting infected. Telemedicine also allows doctors to examine more patients because it eliminates the trip to the doctor’s office. Patients are also safer because they no longer have to stay together in a waiting room. Using telemedicine can keep both parties safe from the pandemic.

Here are the most common ways telemedicine may be implemented by doctors:

Live video consultation

This version of the Otolaryngology service requires the use of interactive video communication systems. The system must facilitate real-time communications between the healthcare professional and the patient. Patients can discuss their symptoms and show problems in their ears, nose, and throat in real-time, allowing for accurate diagnosis and treatment from a safe distance.

Phone consultation ear, nose, and throat doctor can be used in place of visiting the doctor’s office. Patients can discuss their symptoms to give the doctor an accurate reading of their condition. This form of consultation may be more accessible because most people in the country have cell phones.

Store and forward processes are a bit more complicated. Patients must use high-resolution cameras and other medical devices to give doctors an accurate reading of their condition. Pictures of the patient’s ears, nose, and throat along, with other relevant data, must be sent to the healthcare provider for later review. The better the quality of the pictures and the more data provided, the more accurate the diagnosis.

As of March 6, 2020, Medicare has expanded coverage for telehealth and telemedicine services. Telehealth and Telemedicine may sound similar but are not the same. Telehealth refers to a wide range of patient care services that may not always be clinical such as medical education and surveillance. Telemedicine refers to the remote clinical services offered by healthcare professionals.

Telehealth Otolaryngology, Telemedicine for ear, nose, and throat, and Telehealth service for ear, nose, and throat may all be covered by Medicare because of the expanded coverage.