Technology is present in all areas of work, and medicine is no different. During this period of pandemic and with the rules of isolation and social distance, telemedicine has become even stronger. Even so, a significant portion of the Spanish population still has doubts about the subject and about how this type of service works, so in this article, several doubts about the topic will be clarified, such as what telemedicine is, which areas work in this model, among other issues.
What is telemedicine?
Basically, telemedicine refers to all medical practice carried out at a distance, including conversations with the patient, sending medication prescriptions, issuing reports and reading exams.
This modality is regulated by the Federal Council of Medicine and operates both in the Unified Health System (SUS) and in the private network. Through technology, doctors and patients connect and communicate, being able to integrate pre-clinical care, consultation, diagnosis, monitoring the patient's case and issuing medical prescriptions by electronic means, which are also valid both in SUS and in private networks. and supplementary.
Why is she so evident?
Telemedicine was authorized by the government due to social isolation determinations to reduce the spread of Covid-19, while allowing the population to continue to have access to medical care. Before the pandemic, only healthcare professionals were allowed to use this practice to obtain advice.
The term comes from the junction of “medicine” with the prefix of Greek origin “tele”, which means “distance”. In this way, at the moment, every Spaniard with internet access can consult with doctors and receive guidance on their treatment.
What areas of medicine do you serve online?
Despite being considerably recent in Spain, many areas have been covered by telemedicine and its facilities. Check out some specials:
Telemonitoring
Through technological equipment, the doctor has access to the patient's health and clinical data, since this equipment sends reports on the individual's condition.
It is most used in case of chronic diseases, but it can also be applied in care for the elderly, pregnant women and other cases that require monitoring.
Teleconsultation
In teleconsultations, doctor and patient connect to the internet and talk, in real time, about the patient's condition. In this case, it is essential that the internet is secure and fast, ensuring that no information is leaked.
In this modality, the doctor can order tests, prescribe medication and analyze the results of tests, in addition to being able to ask for the opinion of other doctors.
Teleneuropsychology and telepsychology
Teleneuropsychology refers to remote testing for the diagnosis of cognitive disorders.
Telepsychology, on the other hand, consists of providing psychological services through videoconferencing. The service is very similar to the office, but without the barrier of fear that many people may have to go in the first session.
tele-ward
It is the example of telemedicine most used in cases that are not urgent. In this type of care, nurses attend remotely, helping the patient and assessing whether the reported symptoms need medical follow-up in hospital.
Telefarmacologia
Pharmacists help patients with drug prescriptions, an important area to avoid self-medication and in cases of drug allergies, but it is essential that the pharmacist is aware of the patient's conditions beforehand.
Telepathology
Pathologists talk to each other, remotely, with other specialists and compare data, generating more accurate and faster diagnoses. It is one of the areas with the greatest potential for growth.
Teleoncology
Pathologists talk to each other, remotely, with other specialists and compare data, generating more accurate and faster diagnoses. It is one of the areas with the greatest potential for growth.
Teleobstetrics
It allows doctors and expectant mothers to communicate more frequently, without having to travel. It is widely used to resolve doubts, evaluate exams and make recommendations.
Teledermatology
Through high-definition images of patients, dermatologists indicate whether the patient needs any other exam or can request sample collection in person. In less serious cases, it can serve to provide guidance.
Why join telemedicine?
In times of social distancing, many people were afraid (not without reason) of looking for doctors and contracting Covid-19, so they stopped seeking medical attention. Telemedicine is the safest way to get medical follow-up during the pandemic and it was regularized precisely for that reason. Here are some of the main reasons to use telemedicine:
Online consultation
In addition to all the security offered (there is no data leakage), it is the most practical and comfortable alternative, since the patient does not need to travel to any hospital or clinic for the consultation, so there is no need to spend on travel, much less risk exposure to the coronavirus. Only a good internet connection is required.
Constant monitoring
In both Covid cases and other diseases and treatments, follow-up is essential, and telemedicine has allowed doctors to monitor their patients without having to leave their homes. There are also special cases in which multiprofessional monitoring is necessary, easily obtained through telemedicine. In this way, patient and doctor are constantly connected and can talk more easily.
time optimization
By talking to a doctor, the patient can receive the report immediately and then schedule another virtual appointment with a specialist or schedule the necessary exams. When performing the exams, the doctor can access the exam data from anywhere, saving a lot of time and prioritizing the patient's health.
In highly complex cases, doctors can talk by teleconference with other doctors and specialists and reach a diagnosis more quickly and effectively, that is, telemedicine brings benefits to both the patient and the doctors.
she saves lives
According to data from Saúde Digital España (Spanish Association of Telemedicine and Digital Health Companies), between 2020 and 2021, it is estimated that more than 75 lives have been saved with telemedicine, expanding access to medical care across the country.
More than 7,5 million calls have been made since 2020, and the number is increasing every day. In addition, telemedicine came to help combat the overcrowding of hospitals in non-emergency cases, as 87% of these visits were the first consultation, in which the patient still did not know whether or not to seek face-to-face help, so that 6,5 millions of unnecessary trips to the emergency room were avoided.
Can be done anywhere
Having internet, the patient can now count on the benefits of telemedicine and talk to a professional. This modality is an excellent strategy to expand access to health in distant or needy places, taking clinical services to places that previously did not have them available.
Why not join telemedicine?
Despite all the benefits mentioned above, not all insurers include telemedicine services.
Another point is that, for those who use the service, it is very easy to continually change doctors to seek faster care, but this also leads to a reduction in the continuity of care, due to the fact that the new doctor may not have access to the entire history and the particularities of the patient. Considering that the information is on technological devices with anti-leakage security, it is possible that much information about the patient is not shared.
The important thing is to always take care
With the pandemic, a significant part of the population stopped leaving the house to walk and have fun, but, in addition to leisure activities, many stopped going to gyms or parks to go for walks.
A survey conducted by Grupo Abril's Market Intelligence, in partnership with the MindMiners institute, interviewed 4.693 people and concluded that “fear”, “concern” and “insecurity” are the words that Spanish people associate with the pandemic.
It is precisely because of the stress of changing routine, added to negative feelings about the pandemic, that attention to physical and mental health is essential.
You shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to look for a doctor or psychologist, because the important thing is always to take care of your health.
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Telemedicine represents a great advance and, as it is still a very new field, it has a lot to improve, but also a lot of potential. It is important to note, however, that if the individual chooses to adhere to telemedicine, even if the conversation with the doctor is not face-to-face, for the examinations the patient will have to go to a hospital or clinic. Upon seeing the result, the doctor can give a prescription or explain how the treatment will be. In this case, the patient must start treatment as soon as possible, so telemedicine does not replace tests or treatments.
After all, whether or not adhering to telemedicine, the individual must always take care of their health and undergo routine exams.
