Telemedicine is a much more convenient, accessible care for patients who can talk directly with the doctor and address their concerns
Telehealth
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 07: The corona virus pandemic has revealed many harsh truths about the world we live in, but one of them is especially problematic. Devastating challenges have shown that the lack of sufficient healthcare resources is a globally common problem. No country was taken unsurprised by the medical needs that they fought incredibly hard to overcome. The health officials of the world had a painful wake-up call - something needed to be done to fill the gaps that have been ignored for decades. This effect has been especially prominent in India. For this reason, there has been a massive rise in telehealth - virtual remote healthcare. After all, convenience is critical in today's healthcare world.
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The immense rise of telemedicine
And this rise is vast. New institutions and individuals offering teleconsultation and medical information and care are doubling every few hours. This is not surprising because the need is indeed vast. Primary healthcare availability has always been a problem in India. Citizens of rural parts of the country like Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh have not received the care they need and deserve. The population itself is one of the roots of the problem. The doctor-patient ratio is problematic, to say the least. The country has a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:10,189. The situation in the rural parts of India is devastating; they need three times as many nurses and five times as many paramedics they have today.
The pandemic has made the situation even worse. But consequently, telehealth has emerged from the sidelines to the center of Indian medical care. Since patients cannot travel to the already packed hospitals from remote locations, virtual remote healthcare now plays a heroic role.
Telehealth providers are doubling in India, and Sprint Medical is an excellent example of the future of medicine - virtual health care presently operational in Prayagraj. It specializes in telemedicine, allowing its patients to choose satellite Nurse assisted E-Clinics where the patient can walk in and get diagnosed with IoT-Connected devices, Nurse Assisted HomeDoc services when the patient cannot travel to the hospital. Nurse Assisted Online Doctor Consultation where patients get full support from a trained nurse to select and navigate the consultation process; Sprint Medical helps people find the perfect doctor and easily book an appointment.
The benefits of Telehealth are vast.
Telehealth and telemedicine offer many possibilities and provide immediate benefits to both the patients and medical professionals.
- They provide access to the medical care they otherwise unavailable to them
- They lift the weight from hospitals and clinics considerably
- Corona virus can be remotely and virtually diagnosed daily
- Patients are getting remote care, diagnosing, monitoring and advice while staying safe at home.
- Healthcare professionals can help patients even if they are quarantined at home
- They increase the safety of citizens and medical care practitioners by providing care from home
- They allow remote evaluation and monitoring of pulse rate, BP, oxygen saturation, shortness of breath, fever, lungs, and heart
- Chatbots and AI-powered self-diagnostic questionnaires work as an immediate initial support step.
Digital health is indeed transforming the healthcare system on a deep level. Telehealth is a medical force that is finally addressing the urban-rural health care gap.
Patients all over India now have the chance to receive professional medical help with integrated clinical standards, protocols, policies, and procedures virtually. The guidelines for telemedicine practitioners are in place, and they require a completed online course within three years of notification of these guidelines.
Registered Medical Practitioners (RMP) are now using several suitable telemedicine tools to consult their patients, such as telephone, video, devices connected over LAN, WAN, Internet, mobile or landline phones, and Chat Platforms WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. There are also Mobile App and internet-based digital platforms for data transmission systems. There are many possibilities, so isolation or distant rural locations now pose no problem anymore. Doctors can prescribe medication via email or any messaging platform.
Telehealth is the safest possible kind of care.
As far as safety is concerned, there are safeguards in place. The issues related to the physician-patient relationship, liability and negligence, evaluation, treatment, consent, continued care, medical records, prescriptions, and education have their norm and protocols.
Although some were concerned that patients would not be comfortable using this kind of technology, the practice has shown that is not the case. People are grateful not to have to travel to see the doctor. Citizens who otherwise do not have access to care feel safe and taken care of because the doctor is available to them via a single click.
Telemedicine is an accessible, cost-effective option.
Telemedicine is a much more convenient, accessible care for patients who can talk directly with the doctor and address their concerns. For elderly and pregnant women living in distant, rural areas, this comes as a true blessing of a digital age—no more waiting in long queues, exposed to the pathogens. Telemedicine also saves money and time spent on transport.
This is especially important for daily wage workers who now don't have to wait for days to talk to a specialist consult. They don't have to skip a day of work but still get checked up, diagnosed, treated, and monitored.
Telemedicine also increases patient engagement, directly influencing the hospital's revenue, thus providing better quality patient care. It's a win-win for every party involved.
Telehealth is the future of medical care.
Considering the difficult times ahead and the technological advancement, there is no doubt that telemedicine is a bright future in India. The medical revolution is well underway, with many healthcare professionals and institutions already a part of the enormous telehealth cyberspace. The overall healthcare system of India is in a paradigm shift, which, luckily, the patients are already profoundly appreciative of. Telemedicine is here to stay.
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