How Telehealth Is Changing The Pain Management Landscape

In this day and age, pain management is somewhat controversial. This is in part because it has been linked to the growing opioid crisis in the United States. Doctors once felt comfortable with regularly prescribing opioids to their patients for pain management purposes because they were unaware of the full addictive qualities of these substances. Right now, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with 2015 alone seeing 52,404 fatal overdoses. This is considered to be due to opioid addiction, with 20,101 fatal overdoses linked to prescription painkillers in 2015, and 12,990 related to heroin in that same year.

This is why it’s so important for pain management to be handled carefully and professionally. Many are turning to pain management clinics for this purpose. However, some might be surprised by the new approach pain management clinics have taken to treatment, involving telehealth. You may be uncertain about the new combination of telehealth and pain management. But this approach is changing the landscape of the field in good ways. Let’s delve into some of them below.

1. It Broadens Clinics’ Reach

Simply put, pain management clinics are able to reach more people through telehealth. For one thing, skipping over the process of shuffling patients in and out of waiting rooms makes it more convenient for providers to see them. For another, patients can potentially meet with providers who are hours away. While pain management clinics are becoming more common, they still aren’t common enough for everyone to have a clinic within reach. Which leads us to our next matter…

2. It’s Convenient for Patients

It can be much more convenient for patients to see their providers through telehealth, rather than driving great distances to reach clinics. This ensures that patients actually see pain management experts when they need to. Additionally, sufferers of chronic pain find it easier to see providers in their own homes.

3. Patients Are More Honest

At times, it can be difficult to feel comfortable speaking with a provider at a clinic. Patients may feel scrutinized, and may not be fully honest about the extent of their pain. In their own homes, they are able to fully express themselves with honesty.

There are a lot of questions that come with pain management. But telehealth can make it much more accessible.