Telemedicine’s Impact on Mental Health and Physical Disorders

The utilization of telemedicine increased 766% at the beginning of the pandemic and became an integral part of access to healthcare. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, healthcare providers maintained their patients' access to care by conducting visits through video conferences. Telemedicine improves patients' management and treatment of chronic conditions such as depression, anxiety, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension due to increased access to care and lower associated costs. The use of online programs in telemedicine such as adapted virtual cognitive behavioral therapy and applications accessible through smart phones allowed patients to treat and address ongoing challenges with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Digital interventions with self-management programs have created advancements for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension. Telerehabilitation has allowed patients with various physical disorders to exceed their treatment adherence and have access to constant medical support which assists medical care. Although telemedicine has offered accessibility, lower income patients are challenged by less support and privacy for telemedicine visits. The utilization of telemedicine has played an important role in the way patients approach and manage their chronic diseases. Future research on how racial and ethnic groups are impacted due to the cost of technology equipment could improve the challenge for different age groups who currently face communication barriers and other safety and security concerns.