Telemedicine has shown immense potential, it is bridging the gap between people, physicians, and health systems. It has become more sophisticated involving telecommunication and computers to provide healthcare information and services to patients at different locations. Previously during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, telemedicine was applied for patients with SARS . Countries of Western Africa like Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone had successfully used teleconsultation during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. In response to the COVID-19, the demand for telemedicine is rapidly increasing, and there is a paucity of robust evidence that telemedicine enhances healthcare.How can we use telemedicine more effectively for fighting against COVID-19 ?
It is good question but I have not yet read any scientific paper whether Tele-medicine can be helpful to save the life of patients suffering from COVID-19.
There is ample opportunity for telemedicine to be used, and to advance. Some roadblocks along the way. Some research into this is being carried out.
The invent of the vaccine of COVID-19 seems to remain after the virus is infected by a large audience. It is understood that the strongest resistance against COVID-19 will be realized by loading vitamin C.
Use of Telemedicine in the times of COVID-19 for COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 patients
Telemedicine has been helping in the management of mild to moderate cases COVID-19 cases admitted to the hospital.
We have been able to monitor the patients by a monitor in each patients room and getting information about progress by giving a telephone call on room extension. In this way we minimized the chances of spread of confirmed COVID-19 patients to health care workers and reducing use of PPE.
The same has been tried in some countries where patient with mild symptoms under self isolation could be monitored and contacted and advised through telemedicine.
However, during this COVID-19 pandemic maximum use of telemedicine has been to have a virtual clinic for non-COVID-19 patients. These patients are contacted at their home by cell phone at their clinic follow up time by a consultant (instead of the patient coming to the outpatient clinic), knowing about their symptoms, well being and tests. The medication were prescribed, arranged by the hospital pharmacy and were dispatched to patients homes by pharmacy dispatch teams.
Thank you so much Muhammad Yousuf for sharing your valuable ideas.
With Regards,
Zubair
Understanding and implementing telemedicine and telehealth in the times of COVID-19 pandemic
You need video IT and telecommunication network to practice telemedicine with electronic medical records to do virtual patient follow up and e- consults.
These articles can also be of help:
1. https://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(20)30249-X/pdf
2. https://www.paho.org/ish/images/docs/covid-19-teleconsultations-en.pdf?ua=1
3. https://www.telehealthresourcecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Telehealth-and-COVID-19-FINAL.pdf
Telemedicine has huge potential in decreasing the spread of covid specially to the health care professionals and between patients.
Most review consultations and follow up can be dealt easily with teleconsults.
Of course, it can not and should not replace clinical examinations and emergency care, but should be complimentary to it
Dear Mr. Ratan!
I found the following papers:
1) Vivek Chauhan et al. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Leveraging Telemedicine to Optimize Care While Minimizing Exposures and Viral Transmission" Journal of Emergencies Trauma and Shock 13(1):3-7, Available at:
Article Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Leveraging Telemedicine to Opt...
2) Rashid Bashshur et al. (2020). " Telemedicine and the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lessons for the Future" Telemedicine and e-Health.May 2020.571-573. © 2020 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers,
Citation: " In the long run, the future health system must triage patients to encourage appropriate and discourage inappropriate use of service. Ideally, the triaging system would be implemented state wide or region wide for maximal efficiency. Telemedicine offers tools for implementing triage at the point of need."
Available at: Article Telemedicine and the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lessons for the Future
3) Zhen Hong, et al. (2020)."Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From Western China" J Med Internet Res 2020;22(5):e19577 Copyright © 2020 JMIR Publications, Citation:" it can provide rapid access to specialists who are unavailable in person. With the rapid development of the internet and smartphone apps, telemedicine has transitioned to a multimodal paradigm, offering greater possibilities and convenience. The successes of telemedicine in Western China may provide a useful reference for other parts of the world. Prerequisites for success include sufficient financial resources, technological infrastructure, and overall arrangement of policymakers."
Available at:
https://www.jmir.org/2020/5/e19577/
4) Cornelius Kalenzi (2020). "Telemedicine can be a COVID-19 game-changer. Here's how" ,May 13, 2020, © 2020 World Economic Forum, Available at:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/telemedicine-covid-19-game-changer/
Yours sincerely, Bulcsu Szekely
Dear Bulcsu Szekely ,
Thank you so much for sharing these valuable resources.
With Regards,
Zubair
I suggest that the question be inverted!
If isolation and social distancing are beneficial then any procedures that reduce exposure to and contact with infected persons or infected areas eg surfaces, is positive. Clearly telemedicine reduces GP waiting rooms exposure, travel by vulnerable persons while protecting the healthcare personnel. It also reduces On site hospital triage usage. It allows concerned patients to report distinctive symptoms earlier even if they do not know their significance.
I think it also carries an enormous quality control benefits for GP consultations. A supervisor /inspector can replay recorded telemedic
these effects free up medical resources, protect patients and improve accountability and quality practice. This makes the “fight” much easier.
Telemedicine can help in managing mild covid patients and also for non covid patients care also.
It has a huge potential and will definitely shape our future education and patient care
Difficult to manage COVID19 patients by telemedicine, but we are treating many other patients. That prevents them to come to hospitals and thereby alleviating their fear factor and chance of contamination.
Virtual Medicine - https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telemedicine-during-covid-19-benefits-limitations-burdens-adaptation
https://www.pulsara.com/blog/5-ways-telemedicine-can-help-turn-the-tide-against-covid-19
Telemedicine can certainly be of significant assistance in mental health and psychiatry. We discuss aspects of this in our paper exploring the impact of Covid-19 on health systems and nursing - DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2020.105
Dear zubair, telemedicine may help by
1. Giving patients a virtual option for regular appointments reduces their risk of unnecessary exposure.
Normal health issues don’t stop for a pandemic. Moving appointments to a virtual setting can help doctors provide follow-up care for at-risk patients remotely, ensuring that patients aren’t accidentally exposed to COVID-19. It also works the other way: patients who are worried they may be infected but don't need to go to the hospital can check in with their doctor through live video, without worrying about exposing others. It also eliminates the possibility of picking up COVID-19 at the hospital if it turns out they weren’t already infected.
2. Through remote appointments, quarantined healthcare providers can still care for patients.
If a healthcare provider is exposed to COVID-19 and must self-quarantine, or is at a higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19, telemedicine can provide them with a way to continue working. Clinicians can conduct virtual appointments from home and still provide patients with a high level of care, while relieving some of the strain on the care teams on-location at the hospital.
3. Even in the hospital, clinicians can see patients remotely, conserving valuable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Using telemedicine within the hospital itself can also prevent clinicians from being exposed to COVID-19. By setting doctors up with video-enabled devices, they can conduct examinations without ever entering a potential COVID-19 patient’s room, saving PPE for nurses and other caregivers who come in contact with patients.
4. Telemedicine can help doctors see patients who would otherwise avoid making appointments.
While there are still many obstacles with how much insurance companies will agree to cover for remote appointments, telemedicine may reduce the cost of some appointments. This could help attract patients who otherwise could not afford a doctor’s visit. Being able to expand into new demographics and provide them with quality care can help doctors better mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
5. Telemedicine appointments allow for new flexibility, discoveries, and creativity in patient care.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many negative ways, there is a silver lining: it has illuminated the human capacity for creativity, resourcefulness, and discovery in the midst of tough circumstances. Clinicians who previously assumed that their services could not be adapted to a telemedicine format are discovering that virtual appointments can give them a valuable insight into patients’ home lives, helping them come up with therapy ideas specifically suited to each patient’s home environment. Sahana Baker-Malone, a pediatric occupational therapist, told The Mercury News: “We’re getting to participate in their normal life as opposed to bringing them into our clinic, where we see kind of constructed sessions.
We have seen greater use of telemedicine in the US and it has helped reduce spread. I am sure you kind find papers in support if you use the right keywords in a lit review search
Telemedicine can be important in reducing the risk of contracting the disease. Unfortunately, some visits must be made live and to avoid serious forms the main defense remains the use of "PPE".
Article COVID-19 and Italian Healthcare Workers From the Initial Sac...
Telemedicine is certainly a distant form of medicine that treat people at two different ends,as covid-19 is highly contagious and spreading by crowding and in contact to the one another.Prevention and cure is more sufficient and effective by e-awarence definitely gives an edge of science.As the modern Health sciences is based on technology and understanding that suits well to the entire health workers in combating the Covid-19 thouroghly.