Advancements in modern-day technology has shaped the way we live our lives to a great extent. With social media platforms such as Facebook and Skype, we’re only a text message or phone call away; whether its people living across the continent or our next-door neighbours.
With the current global situation due to COVID-19, many of us were required to work from home due to the strict lockdowns in place. We can say that technology did really make the shift easier for us. Technology took over how we lived our lives during the pandemic. From online classes to online meetings, ordering groceries and shopping online, to online video call consultations and diagnosis with our doctors, technology paved the way for all of this. With everything being so accessible and just a click away due to the recent developments in technology, our healthcare system has also improved to a great degree.
Telemedicine and its use
The emergence of Telemedicine has allowed basic healthcare to be available in rural areas via a phone call or video call. This allows the healthcare provider and the patient to be in direct contact without having to be physically present in the doctor’s office. With the whole COVID-19 situation, a lot of people and healthcare providers benefitted from this as they could provide consultation and self-management over the phone, making it very convenient and fuss-free.
Doctors could easily evaluate and monitor the patient’s condition remotely and see if they required a visit in-person. This not only made the process easier but also complemented it. When the strict lockdowns were in place, people faced a lot of issues regarding mental health and hotlines were ringing off the hook. What really helped people in these difficult times was the option of treatments being done over video calls and phone calls.
The Future of Telemedicine
It is quite evident that we have experienced a shift when it comes to healthcare services provided by the doctors. With COVID-19, the doctors visited our homes via video calls, instead of us visiting the doctor’s office physically. This shift has also changed the dynamics of a doctor-patient relationship due to the fact that we allowed them to visit our homes in cases such as physiotherapy, for instance.
The emerging concept of Telemedicine improves access to basic healthcare where there are barries to treatment either geographically or due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Organisations such as Transparent Hands US INC. are working tirelessly to come up with a testing kit that can provide a wide range of healthcare options for people living in remote areas. These kits will include free primary care options including lab tests such as blood pressure, ECG, BSR, pulse & oxygen calculator, temperature check-up and a urine screening test.
These devices will upload real-time data to the backend for better patient monitoring and access to their history. This will help patients living in underdeveloped areas to be closer to healthcare professionals once they are registered in the system as they will be able to remotely access all their documents and medical data.
To assist as many people as possible who are in need, these devices will be given to villages instead of individuals. Each village will be provided with the necessary medical personnel to help people conduct these tests. Since the device will provide real time data, the in-house doctors will connect to the focus areas and will directly receive patient test results, diagnosis and treatment will be communicated back to them. In cases of emergency, the patients will be transported to the city as soon as possible. Hence, through the simple use of technology, healthcare in these villages can greatly improve.
Telemedicine and its potential
Since the organization mentioned above has come up with the missing piece of the puzzle to help people in remote areas, it will take Telemedicine to a whole new level in terms of monitoring these patients sitting miles away from their current locations. It is without doubt that the concept of telemedicine has tremendous potential in the developing and developed world with the COVID-19 pandemic it faces. Not only will Telemedicine help people with management and therapy but will also provide basic healthcare to them as well.
