https://www.stat-news.com/2020/02/28/coronavirus-telehealth-digital-health-us-hospitals-companies-face-challenges/?utm_content=bufferfb1e8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter_organicDefinitely a very good article. But a bit long, so here’s my summary:
Key quotes:
Why is telehealth needed in outbreaks?
”Telehealth’s most important strength may be its ability to keep healthy people safe: Patients can access clinicians and reliable health information while avoiding crowded hospitals or public transit.”
”Telehealth has a lot of inherent properties that are useful in infectious disease outbreaks,” Perakslis said. “It can help keep people contained, map them, and meter the where and how of people going to seek medical care. It can also amplify messages and it can amplify workforces.”
“Telehealth can be a force multiplier that helps protect health workers and extends their reach, and should absolutely be seized upon,”
“Th
e World Health Organization urged hospitals and clinics to expand their use of telehealth services — also known as remote or virtual care — to help triage the sick and keep the worried well out of already-crowded medical facilities.”
Strikingly, this comment was made, highlighting how telehealth can really save lives:“Had telehealth been used earlier and more prominently in this way during the Ebola outbreak that began in 2014, Perakslis believes it may have helped save lives.”
Finally, the limitation of telehealth, highlighting why ResappDx is needed:“Still, telehealth has its limits as well. For Covid-19, which appears to be primarily a respiratory illness, many clinicians are looking into patients’ lungs to get an adequate assessment of their conditions. Digital tools can’t really be used to do something like that unless patients already have the equipment at home.”
My take....There are certainly mounting reasons to be using telehealth in epidemic outbreaks. Personally, I’m really keen to start consulting via telehealth ASAP, but I will only start do so once I feel it’s safe, and that will require ResAppDx to be integrated in the telehealth platform.
