Telemedicine in the time of pandemic
Today we have stopped being spectators to the 21st century pandemic and are starting to experience it firsthand. In this crisis, health services can be burdened by an overload of consultations and have a reduced capacity to provide adequate treatment to those who need it most. One of the most important strategies to reduce and mitigate the progress of the epidemic are social distancing measures. This is where “ medicine at a distance” plays an extremely important role and becomes an effective ally.
Virtual teleconsultations, sometimes called “remote consultations”, are a safe and effective way to evaluate suspicious cases and guide the diagnosis and treatment of the patient, minimizing the risk of transmission of the disease. Doctors are closing their offices and opening their laptops to offer medical care to people who follow the recommendation to stay home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Telemedicine has been around for more than two decades but is still in the early stages of development. However, the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly changing this situation, producing an accelerated increase in its use.
Generally speaking, for a teleconsultation, you need a fast and reliable Internet connection, a suitable computer or phone with audio and video capabilities. It is also necessary to know how to use specific software with conference tools such as WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Google hangouts, FaceTime, among others.
With a telematic system, it is possible for these patients to access first-rate specialists who can perform the consultation in this way in 90% of cases. In addition, the medical triage system helps guide those who must urgently go to the hospital.
Doctors are learning the clinical presentations of this new disease day by day. We know today that most people who get coronavirus only have mild symptoms and can recover without leaving their homes. There are atypical initial symptoms like loss of taste and smell, and even gastrointestinal problems like nausea or diarrhea.
The community must know what the alarm symptoms are in order to decide when to go to the hospital, such as difficulty breathing, disorientation, severe pain in the chest and blue skin or lips, especially when risk factors such as elderly age, hypertension, diabetes, among others, are present. The doctor’s central question at COVID-19 is: How is your breathing today? Shortness of breath when talking or doing an activity?
Remote consultation is also a useful tool for monitoring patients after they leave the hospital, now that we are seeing the persistence of some symptoms of the so-called post-COVID-19 syndrome. Teleconsultation has created an opportunity for many care centers in rural areas. A specialist can be in many places at once and provide tele-support to other doctors. In this epidemic situation, some doctors have joined telemedicine free of charge, with the idea that people who do not have the resources can benefit from this technology.
Best practice in medicine still includes close contact with face-to-face interaction. This tool complements traditional medicine but does not replace it. Telemedicine is not for everyone, the close doctor-patient relationship could be weakened or even lost. Telehealth requires ethical, balanced and controlled use; otherwise, it can help broaden the perception of the so-called “dehumanization” of medicine and may compromise the confidentiality of the information.
The Venezuelan reality shows a country in which a part of the population does not have the necessary elements for the good practice of telemedicine. Failures in the internet service and electricity supply, as well as the low knowledge of the use of digital tools in older adults, are just some of them.
It is always important to mention that it is possible to be successful in these spaces and successful iconic projects such as Proyecto Maniapure and SOS Telemedicina UCV are a sample. The latter installed a call center in the middle of a pandemic called “SOS Call”.
Long distance consultations are just the tip of the iceberg in this new field of health care. This modality of medical care is here to stay to provide patients with a more convenient and cost-effective care. The coronavirus pandemic will mark a turning point in adoption and will provide a huge boost to the advancement of telematic applications that ensure a satisfactory relationship between the two, both doctor and the patient.
Originally published at www.elnacional.com on July 31, 2020.
