Stuck in one place? In need of doctor's advice? Try video consultations
Stuck at home with elevated sugar levels? Got bitten by a pesky honey bee? Lost your medical prescription? Your doctor may be just a few kilometers away, but in the current situation, you don't simply want to expose yourself to the dreaded COVID-19 coronavirus. What do you do?
Well, you don't have to worry. You can get quality advice right in the confines of your home via technology labelled as 'telemedicine'. All you may need is a smartphone to begin consulting health specialists over WhatsApp, phone call, video call, or via any other applications.
Increase in the use of telemedicine
Worried about their well-being amid the coronavirus outbreak, Indians are reaching out to doctors over even the mildest symptoms. The increase in online video consultations with doctors is courtesy of the rise in smartphone users. According to data collated by leading dailies, the number of patients seeking teleconsultation on health care platforms has increased, with many queries centered on body ache, sore throat, fever, and cold.
Telemedicine and the world
Video conferencing is now rapidly becoming a preferred choice of communication and collaboration in the healthcare industry, not only in India but also abroad. The ease with which physicians can collaborate with each other and take care of patients via video conferencing, which was initially pretty costly, has led to a significant increase in the use of this technology. Interconnectivity between hospital chains has improved communication between two branches for better management of the hospital chain.
Even China, where the COVID-19 pandemic associated, along with the US and the UK, used telecommunication as much as they could. Not only was it useful in saving time and cutting commutes, when doctors attended to patients over online video or audio consultations, but the facilities could also conserve the protective equipment for healthcare workers. This is an important advantage in a country like India where there is a shortage of N95 marks and protective hazmat suits.
Telemedicine and India
Online retail is a lot more complicated to deliver than online healthcare. If an individual in Mumbai wants to send their fresh product to Jaipur, the amount of cold chain logistics and transportations activities that will have to be undertaken will be huge. If, however, if the same person wants to consult a doctor in Jaipur, he can easily converse with him or her via video consultation.
Telemedicine is especially helpful outside big cities, where medical infrastructure may be lacking, and people have to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach coronavirus test centers. Since the beginning of the outbreak, a lot of calls on healthcare platforms were coming from some of the smaller cities.
The big advantage of online healthcare is that it is accessible at one's fingertips and is convenient for both patient and doctor, as the patient can be simply sitting in his balcony and calling, while the doctor may answer while writing reports in his office. Patients from the rural parts of India can consult doctors via video consultations at the click of a button. Because of this convenience, frequent consultation might improve outcomes in chronic illnesses like respiratory failure, heart failure, and diabetes.
