Aging and Telemedicine Applications

Nirgül BİLGERa , Hacer DOĞAN VARANa

aGazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Geriatrics, Ankara, Türkiye

ABSTRACT
Telehealth, also known as telemedicine is the practice of providing medical services at a distance using telecommunications technology. It has emerged as a transformative tool in the field of geriatric care. As the world’s population ages, the demand for specialized healthcare services for older adults continues to grow. However, challenges such as limited mobility, transportation barriers and the need for frequent medical follow-up pose significant obstacles to accessing timely and comprehensive medical care. Telehealth offers a wide range of services for geriatric patients, including remote consultations, virtual health assessments, medication management and chronic disease monitoring. Integrating telehealth technologies into geriatric care enables healthcare professionals to diagnose conditions remotely, provide personalized treatment plans and offer preventive care strategies. This helps to reduce the burden on older patients and their caregivers, who often struggle to attend face-to-face appointments due to physical or geographical limitations. Additionally, telehealth enables continuous monitoring of vital signs and chronic conditions, promoting early intervention and reducing hospital admissions. In conclusion, telehealth applications hold great promise for the delivery of healthcare services to older people. By removing geographical barriers, increasing accessibility and promoting proactive health care, telehealth has the potential to improve the overall wellbeing of geriatric patients and support them in aging independently. As the technology continues to advance, further research, policy development and collaboration between healthcare professionals are essential to realizing the benefits of telehealth in geriatric care.
Keywords: Telemedicine; geriatrics

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