The internet continues to transform our modern life, with telehealth being one of the most influential developments in recent years. The telehealth market size is anticipated to reach $636.38 billion by 2028, rising at a CAGR of 32.1% during the forecast period. Through a variety of technologies such as mobile devices, online consultations, patient portals, and many others, patients can better access their healthcare needs, including diet services resources. In fact, healthier eating is now easier than ever, thanks to telehealth — here’s how.
Easier Consultation
With the onset of COVID-19, many have found setting regular health appointments complicated due to travel restrictions and limited transportation options. This has certainly affected patients who are supposed to be sticking to a special diet, as it makes contacting doctors and dietitians much more difficult. Telehealth has bridged this gap through the use of remote communication technologies such as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype. Moreover, healthcare institutions have eased patient difficulties by improving patient portals and making online consultations more accessible.
Wider Work Opportunities
More and more digital health and diet coaching companies are hiring more family nurse practitioners to address patient needs in teleconsulting. A family nurse practitioner can choose to provide 20-minute scheduled consultations according to the availability of the professional and their patient. And for patients who are concerned about their eating behaviors, or those who simply want to keep track of their weight management goals, availing themselves of telehealth services from these family nurse practitioners has been made easier.
Readily Available Resources
Thanks to the Internet, boundless information on healthy eating habits is readily available. People can look up the dietary properties of foods, their medicinal properties, varieties, and health benefits. The rise of health management blogs such as Verywell Health, Healthline, and other resources have also made health and nutritional information accessible. Besides these resources, there are hundreds of informative videos, articles, and resources online that can help readers eat healthier, with many resources certified or created by health professionals.
Mobile Apps
Currently, there’s a wide array of nutrition and diet apps that are available on the market. Popular ones include MyFitnessPal, Lifesum, Fooducate, and Carb Manager. Some of these apps serve as calorie counters where users can log their everyday meals, keeping track of food intake and goals. Others are purely educational and report on the nutritional value and ingredients of certain foods. There are also telehealth hybrid apps that allow users to contact a nutritionist for more personalized diet assessments and suggestions. Overall, these apps are handy for health-conscious people.
Group Visits
Telehealth allows for the more seamless coordination of group visits, while still promoting social distancing. A group visit often consists of multiple guardians of a single patient, or several patients and one healthcare provider. For instance, educational sessions for patients who need to maintain a gluten-free diet can be held online during a designated timeslot. This saves time for both the patients and the healthcare provider. Moreover, it allows everyone present during the session to hear each other’s questions and concerns regarding the diet— this includes the patients’ family members and caretakers.
Although telehealth and other online, digital tools are relatively new, they play a large role in boosting health and diet interventions across the world. With even more research and development, it’s more than likely that the wealth of online health resources will only grow, and access to these resources will only increase.
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