Why A Career In Telemedicine Is Right For You

The healthcare industry has drastically transformed in the last ten years, mainly due to telemedicine. Patients, for example, have benefited from improved access to care, convenience, and quality of care. However, its impact on healthcare professionals shouldn’t be ignored either. 

Technological advancements have created new job opportunities for those interested in a more flexible healthcare career. 

So, if you’re thinking about making a career change, consider stepping into telemedicine. Below, we’ll discuss some reasons why a telemedicine career might be a good choice for you. 

1. More flexibility and control over where and when you work

Let’s say you’ve got plenty of in-clinic experience, but you’re ready to use your skills in a different way. You’re tired of the long work commutes and its associated costs, like gas, car maintenance, and parking fees. 

Or maybe you’d like to develop a schedule that works better for you—one where you can establish a routine that allows for true work/life balance. 

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. In fact, one survey found that 95% of workers want to work from home in some capacity. 

A career in telemedicine provides you with the benefits mentioned above. It gives you greater control, as you’re not restricted by geography. 

You can also decide the days and times you’d like to work. With part-time and contractual positions available in telemedicine, you could even continue working an in-person job. However, if you want to work 100% from anywhere, there are full-time telehealth positions too. 

2. Have high health IT intelligence

A career in telemedicine will also help you get familiar with the various forms of technology out there. Having technical skills in your toolbox will impress future employers, as it’s one of the top skills they’re looking for. 

Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically, is an increasingly in-demand skill across industries — including healthcare. According to Forbes, employers are aggressively seeking out technical AI talent, which has resulted in a 323% increase in hiring over the past eight years.  While this stat applies to technical talent, like AI engineers and developers, there’s also a need for non-technical talent who understands how to use it. 

In fact, a Microsoft survey found that 66% of leaders wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. They also found that 77% of participants said they’d hire less experienced people with AI skills over more experienced individuals without AI skills.

Today, many telehealth tools use (AI) technology to assist with administrative tasks, clinical decision support, workflows and more. So, if you’ve got experience with it, you’ll likely be highly sought after. And if you don’t have experience with AI, it might be a good time to jump into a telemedicine role where you can get familiar with it. 

3. Licensed in multiple states

If you have multiple state licenses, you’ll be a highly sought-after candidate in telemedicine. 

It, without a doubt, significantly increases your employability and job security. 

For example, you could look for Locum Tenens opportunities in areas where there are provider staffing shortages. Since you’re not restricted to one location, finding career advancement opportunities that align with your interests and goals is more effortless. Your impact and reach allow you to not only serve a diverse patient population but also collaborate with colleagues in other regions. 

If you’re not licensed in multiple states yet, look into the Interstate Licensing Compact, which streamlines the licensing process for physicians who want to do so. 

4. Interested in career growth opportunities

Whether you’re a physician, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, mental health therapist, or coding and billing professional, there are career growth options for you in telemedicine. 

Just as an example, let’s say you’re currently a RN and are interested in teaching or managing a team one day. Well, there are Nurse Manager and Nurse Educator positions available in telemedicine. Those with an advanced nursing degree could even move into quality improvement roles or make their way into leadership positions. 

Maybe you’re a physician wanting to step away from patient care? You could land a role as a Collaborating Physician, managing and mentoring Nurse Practitioners and performing chart audits. 

The advancement opportunities in telemedicine are endless, especially if you have multiple state licenses and plan to further your education. 

5. New career opportunities 

We also can’t overlook that new career paths and job opportunities are being created due to technological advances in healthcare. For example, there is now a need for telemedicine technology development, program management, policy development, research and education, and patient monitoring. As technology advances and the demand increases, so will the need for these roles. 

6. Broaden your work experience 

If you’re looking for some variety in your work, telemedicine offers that, too. At OpenLoop, our providers work with top digital health companies to broaden their patient populations across 30+ specialties.  

Let’s say you’re a physician or nurse practitioner. In one day, you could work with a medical weight loss patient and later that same day, you could see patients for a virtual urgent care visit. 

7. Ready to provide meaningful patient care 

A career in telemedicine can be gratifying. Virtual health professionals make a difference by improving: 

• Patient accessibility: Telehealth tools expand medical care to rural and underserved locations where people might not otherwise be able to receive it. They also provide access to those with transportation issues and mobility limitations. 

• Quality of healthcare businesses: Patient information can be exchanged easily to distant locations, allowing for better provider collaboration. 

• Provider-patient connectivity: This has reduced hospital readmissions and enhanced medication adherence. 

• Streamlines care: Implementing telehealth tools and AI decreases clinician workload and boosts job satisfaction.  

• Overall cost-savings: A study of non-elderly individuals with cancer discovered that patients saved $141.10 to $222.80 per visit. 

8. Transitional job before retirement 

Maybe you’re at a stage in your career where you’d like to slowly transition into retirement. You no longer desire to work face-to-face, your kids have left the nest, and you’d like to decrease (or eventually eliminate) work commutes. As mentioned by Forbes, “Telemedicine is ideal for practitioners who are farther along in their careers, when they want more flexibility over when, where and how they practice.”  

What types of telemedicine jobs are available? 

Today, there are numerous job opportunities for people, and the options are expanding. Consider the following: 

• Nurse Practitioner 

• Physician Assistant

• Physician (e.g., sports medicine, hormone replacement therapy, etc.) 

• Mental HealthTherapist

• Psychiatrist

• Registered Dietitian 

• Certified Medical Assistant

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker

• Training Manager

• Team Lead

• And more!

Leverage your skill set while working from home

If you want to remain in the healthcare industry, work from anywhere, enjoy a flexible schedule, and positively impact more patients, a career in telemedicine may be the right move for you. 

At OpenLoop, we help expand virtual care services by partnering innovative healthcare organizations with leading clinicians and health professionals like yourself. We offer 50-state coverage and easy-to-use technology to improve care access, workflows, and service quality.

Are you interested in learning more? Check out some of our open positions here!