Contents
The COVID-19 pandemic has in some way forced the use of telemedicine solutions on a large scale. However, the land underneath has not been laid earlier. It is inevitable that after the pandemic is over, telemedicine will continue to develop and become, on a par with traditional visits, the primary method of contacting a doctor.
We have been observing telemedicine solutions on the Polish market for a long time. There is no doubt, however, that it is the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated their development. And it is not only about the platforms themselves, but also about legal solutions such as the introduction of e-prescriptions, e-exemptions or e-referrals. In July 2020, a resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council was also published, stating that doctors have a uniform scope of duties and responsibilities, both in the case of telemedicine and stationary visits. Many experts point out how difficult it would be to function in a pandemic reality without it.
Here is an overview of the seven trends that will accompany telemedicine in 2021.
1. Technology in the service of telemedicine
Technology is the basis for the development of telemedicine. Each solution must have its own technological background, the appropriate systems must be both reliable and safe. The development of telemedicine is therefore primarily an investment in the best technology.
In the telemedicine industry, solutions related to remote treatment and monitoring of patients’ health will be increasingly used. Devices such as telespirometer, Higo Sense or StethoMe can already be used for this purpose. In addition, it is possible to perform comprehensive cardiac monitoring using, among others, holters. The test results can of course be made available to the doctor. Over time, there will be even more such solutions.
“We are already seeing, and we will be seeing more and more home devices that allow for remote monitoring of health or support the initial medical diagnosis that can be carried out independently. The intelligent scale will monitor the water level in the body, and the electronic stethoscope will allow, without leaving the house, to verify whether our child has bronchitis, ”says Tomasz Domino, COO Infermedica.
“Let’s imagine a situation where the patient, after crossing the doctor’s office, will have the so-called prediagnosis by a virtual doctor – completes an online health questionnaire, and the program will be able to pre-diagnose a health problem based on the collected data about the patient and diseases. The doctor will still remain the decision-maker in diagnostics, but he will be equipped with tools to significantly improve his work, ”points out Rafał Piszczek, CEO of Medfile SA (haloDoctor.pl).
- See also: The most important trends in e-health 2021
2. Treatment of chronic diseases
In the minds of many people, telemedicine is mainly associated with one-off visits. Meanwhile, the Medical Economics study from July 2020 shows that 83 percent of Americans expect to use telemedicine after the pandemic is over. The same study shows that telemedicine saves patients more than 100 minutes of time compared to a stationary visit, so it is an excellent solution, among others, for people with chronic diseases.
During the treatment of a chronic disease, patients require not only frequent contact with a doctor, but also regular performance of certain tests. However, it can be assumed that personal contact may be limited over time. It will be influenced not only by modern health monitoring devices, but also popularization of mail-order tests and tests performed at the patient’s home. Online receipt of results and the possibility of their interpretation via the Internet has already become popular.
3. Telemedicine and the improvement of mental health
According to the World Health Organization, the demand for mental health services will increase. WHO reports that the number of people with anxiety disorders who sought help increased by 2020 percent from January to September 93. Telemedicine may be a beneficial solution for at least some people.
Not everyone has the opportunity to have a therapeutic session in their place of residence. Appropriate conditions are necessary for this, as well as the possibility of silence and isolation from others. Telemedicine, however, eliminates the exclusion of people who do not have the possibility of regular visits to a therapeutic office, if only because of the place of residence and communication difficulties.
Psychiatric support is a separate issue. There are many places in Poland where contact with a psychiatrist is difficult. Telemedicine allows you to make an appointment without location restrictions.
4. New legal regulations
Many experts point out how difficult a pandemic situation would be if solutions such as e-prescription or e-exemption were not introduced. Appropriate legal regulations in this area enabled the dynamic development of telemedicine platforms. It can be expected that new solutions will be introduced successively. A good example is the recently introduced possibility of issuing e-referrals.
In 2021, the Ministry of Health would like to implement the obligation to run by institutions Electronic Medical Records. “One of the challenges in 2021 in the field of e-health is to prepare healthcare entities for the obligation to maintain Electronic Medical Records (EDM) and reporting medical events (ZM). They will close the catalog of e-services related to medical documentation based on the e-health platform (P1). Handling medical events will allow for the central collection of information from public and commercial service providers, ”says Anna Goławska, Deputy Minister of Health for IT.
In the first half of 2021, the implementation of the “mojeIKP” mobile application is also planned, and in the following months the expansion of the Internet Patient Account with central electronic registration for some benefits, e-visit service with a medical worker or the option to order an e-prescription.
- Also read: Investments and improvement of the quality of the health care system in Poland
5. E-health in your pocket
The market of applications for comprehensive health monitoring in Poland is not yet well developed. Individual solutions focus only on a certain segment, such as healthy eating, physical exercise or elements of mental health, meditation and mindfulness. However, it can be assumed that further telemedicine solutions will somehow force the creation of specific health centers.
Such solutions include the aforementioned medical devices for measuring health condition. It is not difficult to imagine their integration with a smartwatch and a mobile application, in which the patient will also have access to his medical records or diet plan. It will also include additional information, such as monitoring health habits and test results.
6. Use of ready-made solutions
In recent years, many telemedicine platforms have been created. In the near future, probably fewer and fewer entities will create their own solutions to take advantage of those that have already been developed.
Units dealing with the creation of telemedicine software will gradually be provide their services and enter into cooperation with medical institutions. As a result, facilities will receive appropriate technology, and companies will have access to doctors who provide telemedicine services. This is also a benefit for patients, because the more doctors who provide telemedicine services with the use of professional tools, the more patients will be able to benefit from the help of a specialist, including those from their local area.
7. Increasing importance of cybersecurity
The topic of cybersecurity is inextricably linked with telemedicine. Medical data is especially sensitiveand their safety is extremely important for patients. No wonder then that the creators of telemedicine solutions do their best to secure the information entrusted to them by patients.
In the field of cybersecurity, further legal regulations can also be expected. All the more so if the facilities are required to keep Electronic Medical Records, to which patients will have access, for example, in an application on a smartphone. Documentation, test results, medical history – these are just some of the elements that require data encryption.
- See also: 10 digital marketing trends for the pharmaceutical industry for 2021
Summation
Telemedicine is a convenience for many people. In the aforementioned Medical Economics study, patients were asked what would encourage them to book a telemedicine visit. As many as 69 percent of respondents said it would be an easy-to-use technology. 57 percent of respondents indicated easy communication, while 47 percent indicated the possibility of online visit planning and immediate availability of a visit.
Telemedicine solutions in 2021 will continue to enjoy great popularity and the end of the pandemic, which is still difficult to predict in time, will not change this trend. More and more people will be gradually convinced of this form of contact with a doctor, and the technology will support the monitoring of the patient’s health almost XNUMX hours a day. Telemedicine companies should pay special attention to new legal regulations that will enable new directions of development.
- Read also other content from Digital Health Magazine on MedTvoiLokony