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The digitization of health care is a topic that has appeared more and more frequently in recent years. There is no doubt that this process was significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the near future, we can expect the introduction of further solutions that will gradually revolutionize the relationship between the doctor and the patient.
Computerization in health care
The Future Health Index report, which was carried out in 2019, shows that as much as 82 percent of Polish patients would like to have access to their medical history. The same report also shows that as many as 64 percent of healthcare professionals from large and very large facilities shared patient data with other healthcare professionals within their facility. The willingness to share medical data was fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which in some ways forced a change in many aspects of treatment.
It is hardly surprising that computerization is one of the main goals of healthcare development in Poland. The e-health project, known as P1, was one of the key directions set by the Ministry of Health before the pandemic. Thanks to it, solutions such as e-prescriptions or e-waivers were implemented in Poland, and a few months ago also e-referrals. Without them, today it is difficult to imagine the functioning of the health care system in the last year or the operation of the COVID-19 vaccination system.
So what awaits us next? The Ministry of Health intends to continue developing the e-health project. From 2022, driving will be mandatory in all establishments Electronic Medical Records (EDM) and reporting of medical events (ZM). Preparation of medical entities for the implementation of digital solutions is one of the tasks of the Ministry for 2021.
Anna Goławska, Deputy Minister of Health for IT, emphasized in an interview with Medonet that it would be a kind of closure of the catalog of e-services related to medical documentation. “Handling of medical incidents will allow for the central collection of information from public and commercial service providers. Collecting data in one place will allow e.g. reduce the need for duplication of reporting obligations, reduce the number of duplicate studies and release patients from the obligation to provide medical records to health facilities, ”she said.
It’s not everything. The introduction of Electronic Medical Records will allow specialists to avoid treatment errors. The phenomenon is a good example here polypharmacotherapy, i.e. treatment of one patient with many drugs by many different specialists. Thanks to centralized databases, both the patient and the doctor will be in a much better position.
It is a big challenge. The 2019 Future Health Index report cited earlier shows that 64 percent of healthcare professionals from large and very large facilities share data within their facility, but only 11 percent share this data with healthcare professionals outside their facility. And while the pandemic has changed a lot and has certainly opened up doctors to remote solutions, there is still a lot of work to be done.
- Also read: Investments and improvement of the quality of the health care system in Poland
Mobile applications
The launch of the mojeIKP application was one of the main challenges of the Ministry of Health for 2021. It significantly facilitates access to the Internet Patient Account, but also gives room for the expansion of services provided in this form. With the mojeIKP application, the patient can easily receive an e-prescription or e-referral, but in the future he will also be able to use the central e-registration or make an e-visit.
At this point, it is impossible not to refer to the pandemic again. Exactly that The mojeIKP application, also connected with the mObywatel application, will allow, among other things, to confirm the fact of being vaccinated against COVID-19. Subsequent legal regulations indicate that having such a certificate at hand can be very important, among others in the case of mass events, events or even border crossing between countries.
Gradually, mobile applications in Poland are also becoming carriers of medical records. Something that is standard in countries such as Denmark or Estonia is only slowly developing here. However, solutions thanks to which everyone on their smartphone can have a medical history, information about medications or allergies, can significantly facilitate a possible diagnosis. At the same time, it is worth remembering that the implementation of this type of solution requires the storage of huge amounts of data in a safe manner. The example of countries such as Denmark shows that Building trust in the security of the system among citizens contributes to the fact that they start to use it more willingly.
Mobile applications, however, are not only the Internet Patient Account or medical documentation. Today, thanks to applications, remote diagnostics are also possible. The 2019 Future Health Index report, cited several times, shows that as many as 77 percent of medical staff representatives use at least one type of digital solution in their work, including from mobile applications. The applications are connected to devices such as a portable spirometer, which transmits measurements to a smartphone via Bluetooth. The application collects the entire history of the study, which is also available to medical personnel.
Remote diagnostics
The data of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development provided at the end of 2019 shows that in Poland, on average, there are 1000 physicians per 2,4 inhabitants. This is the weakest result in the entire European Union, and also one of the weakest in Europe. Only Turkey was worse than our country. On the one hand, it is a huge challenge for the rulers who should strive to improve this situation. On the other hand, new technologies and digitization in healthcare are essential support for both medical staff and patients.
Problems with medical staff are not enough. Poland is also struggling with difficulties in accessing medical equipment. In 2017, in our country, there were 17 computed tomography devices per million inhabitants and less than 8 for magnetic resonance imaging. Although the situation is gradually improving, the waiting time for the test is still long.
No wonder that high hopes are attached, among others, to devices for remote diagnostics. Many innovative solutions in this area have been prepared by Polish startups, thanks to which access to remote spirometry, ECG measurement or a stethoscope has been facilitated. The Ministry of Health is also planning to implement more devices for remote medical care.
The ministry plans, among other things, to expand the program remote monitoring of implantable devices. Thanks to this, patients who have implemented a pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator will be under constant observation. In the event of a threat to their health or life, it will be possible to take immediate action.
It’s not everything. The plans of the Ministry of Health also include extending the application electronic stethoscopes enabling the initial diagnosis of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as portable spirometers. It is impossible not to mention the implementation eKTGwhich enables a reliable and, above all, safe examination of the fetal heart rate, the pregnant woman’s heart rate, and the recording of uterine contractions. In the event of any irregularities being detected, such a solution enables immediate action to be taken.
Remote diagnostics is another area accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. On the one hand, there has been a significant increase in the use of medical devices in both the public and private sectors. On the other hand, it was necessary to monitor the health of COVID-19 patients who were kept in home isolation. The program came to the rescue Home Medical Care (DOM) implemented by the Ministry of Health. It used a pulse oximeter as a diagnostic tool, which, combined with the PulsoCare application, allowed for constant monitoring of patients’ health.
Check also other content of Digital Health Magazine on MedTvoiLokony:
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telemedicine
In the 2019 Future Health Index report mentioned several times, it was mentioned the three most important reasons discouraging Polish patients from visiting a medical office if necessary. According to 55 percent of people, it is a necessity to obtain a referral to a specialist. 32 percent of patients indicated difficulties in arranging an appointment or the lack of such an opportunity, while 23 percent indicated no access to specialist care and / or to a specific type of care in a given area.
At the same time, the same report indicated that In 36, 2019 percent of patients were willing to undergo remote consultations in cases that do not require urgent contact with a doctor. The fact that at the beginning of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, which in a way forced the implementation of telemedicine solutions, makes telemedicine one of the main developments in the digitization area in healthcare.
Over the last year, telemedicine has become the primary source of contact with a doctor for many people. And although today a visit to a medical facility is much easier, some solutions will remain with us permanently. Among other things, thanks to the introduction of the e-prescription system, e-dispensations and e-referrals, patients who need emergency consultations or taking permanent medications do not have to see a doctor every time. This can significantly reduce the waiting time for visits to specialists.
It is impossible not to mention the importance of medical safety here once again. Telemedicine is closely related not only to the introduction of e-health solutions, but also to Electronic Medical Records. Thanks to the provision of medical data of patients, doctors will have access to the history of their diseases and the medications they take, which will help to avoid mistakes. In this context, it is very important to ensure the security of medical data. Only in this case is it possible to implement digital solutions widely among citizens, whose awareness of information security is growing.
- Also read: 7 trends in telemedicine for 2021
Artificial intelligence
The implementation of artificial intelligence solutions in medicine evokes various reactions. Some see it as an opportunity to support doctors and medical staff in appropriate diagnostics and treatment. Others have futuristic visions about replacing specialists with machines. This does not change the fact that some aspects of artificial intelligence are already present in medicine today and it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that there will be more and more of them.
The previously cited Future Health Index report from 2019 also raises this issue. As it turns out doctors in our country have the greatest confidence in artificial intelligence systems for monitoring patient health. As many as 70 percent of the surveyed medical personnel indicated that AI solutions can be used just for monitoring patients.
However, doctors in our country still have a generally low trust in artificial intelligence. Only 16 percent indicated the possibility of using AI in signaling abnormalities in patients’ health, and 14 percent indicated the use of AI to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of the disease. Only 5 percent of physicians would like to use artificial intelligence in implementing treatment plans.
Such results indicate, on the one hand, a small scope of implementation of artificial intelligence solutions in the health care system in Poland, and, on the other hand, the need to educate both patients and medical personnel. Both sides should understand that digital solutions are designed to support effective treatment and not be an unnecessary burden.
- Also read: The most important applications of artificial intelligence in medicine
Summation
Digitization is becoming more and more common today in health care. The entire P1 project, implemented for several years by the Ministry of Health, has shown its value, especially in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today it is difficult to imagine the reality of a lockdown without solutions such as e-prescriptions or e-exemptions. In turn, the entire vaccination system against COVID-19 is based on e-referrals.
The pandemic has “familiarized” both patients and doctors with digital medicine. The increasing implementation of telemedicine and remote diagnostics devices makes these areas an element of our everyday life. There are still many challenges ahead of the health care system in Poland, both in terms of implementing new technologies and educating doctors and patients. At the end of this road, however, there is a chance for much better medical care throughout the country – regardless of social status and location.