Telehealth has revolutionized healthcare worldwide. Seeing its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic many individuals permanently shifted to telehealth. This was mainly because of the benefits it provides. The ease of receiving medical assistance from the comfort of your home was enough to convince people to shift to telehealth. Convenience and increased access to healthcare are its major advantages but there is another advantage that is not talked about. The environmental benefits of telehealth are huge and should not go unnoticed.
With this blog, we aim to highlight the environmental impacts of telehealth so that you can save yourself and your surroundings simultaneously. From reducing the carbon footprint to the challenges telehealth faces this blog discusses it all. So, let’s get into the depth of how telehealth is benefiting the environment.
Reduced Transport Emissions
In-person visits usually involve travel either by bus, car, or any other mode of transport. We are all aware of the greenhouse effect most of these vehicles have on the environment. The emission of CO2 gasses that contribute to climate change and whatnot are a huge threat to the environment. Telehealth helps to significantly reduce emissions by eliminating the need for travel in virtual visits, thus preventing the release of harmful gases into the environment. You could contribute to reducing climate change just from a single online visit.
Furthermore, this could reduce traffic congestion in highly populated areas. As most of the emissions are released when vehicles stand idle in traffic it is necessary to control it. This could also save lots of time and reduce potential accidents. Stop-and-go traffic is a huge contributor to air pollution and it also happens in populated areas making it worse. By restricting your visits and opting for telehealth you could help save the environment.
Energy Efficiency in Healthcare Facilities
We are all aware of how energy-intensive hospitals are. They demand high energy levels to keep their machinery running, maintaining temperature levels, and proper lighting. This also forces the relevant agencies to produce more energy to cater to such demands. While efforts to generate sustainable energy are in progress they are not quite implemented right now. Telehealth aids in reducing this strain by lowering the number of in-person visits. This would result in lower input toward temperature control and lighting in waiting rooms and examination centers.
As telehealth becomes more common there could be a significant impact on energy levels. Telehealth would reduce the demand for physical hospitals, saving tons of raw materials required for construction. Moreover, we could use the energy produced in other areas to benefit society. By making this shift to telehealth, we could achieve all of this. If you want to save the environment and get the best healthcare at the same time then we have what you need. Progressive healthcare solutions provide the best healthcare facilities with expert staff on board at all times.
Decreased Waste
Traditional healthcare produces significant amounts of waste. If not disposed of properly this could end up damaging the environment significantly. Most of this waste comes from single-use medical supplies. Another contributor to the waste is the high usage of paper. From prescriptions to medical records, healthcare providers use lots of paper daily. With the assistance of telehealth, we can counter this situation. All the records and prescriptions go digital, this shuns the use of paper and keeps the files more secure. Additionally, it also reduces all resources used in printing and storing these papers.
With telehealth disposable medical supplies are no more required. We dispose of supplies like gloves, masks, table covers, etc., after one-time use. This generates unwanted waste that we must store and dispose of. Telehealth operates entirely online, so you don’t need any of these supplies. This approach reduces the toxic waste that authorities would otherwise have to burn or bury in landfills.
Challenges
Telehealth offers huge environmental benefits, but it also presents certain challenges. Telehealth is highly dependent on digital infrastructure. All the digital infrastructure depends on energy itself. One small outage of electricity could ruin your virtual appointment. If your device is not charged you will not be able to attend your telehealth session. Advancements in energy-efficient devices and sustainable energy sources are working on eliminating this issue for good.
Certain people may also face issues getting used to telehealth. They shouldn’t blame themselves; transitioning from traditional methods takes a bit of adjustment. What you need to keep in mind is it will be all worth it. You cannot achieve the ways to save the environment and benefit yourself through in-person visits. Sustainability might be an issue with telehealth however, it is improving day by day. In the future telehealth will be a perfect system without any doubts.
Final Remarks
As much as your healthcare matters so does your environment. Telehealth is the future of healthcare as it reduces the environmental impact the medical industry has. By reducing vehicle emissions, improving energy efficiency, and decreasing medical waste telehealth has brought sustainable healthcare to the top. With advancements in technology, telehealth only aims to improve and be more sustainable making it the future of health care.
It is your responsibility to choose the right telehealth provider. This means choosing a company that is easy to navigate through and provides what is best for you and the environment. At last, stay safe and keep your environment safe.
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