Telemedicine and Virtual Care are here to stay

Are you a doctor? Understand the importance of digital health and join us in being part of this change. Clinics in Ontario can be the leaders in this new way of delivering care.

Currently, society is experiencing a profound impact in the economy worldwide. The market is in need to reinvent itself, towards both economic recovery and flattening of the Coronavirus curve. With the pandemic, telemedicine  – especially through Virtual Care– appears to be an important support for the population, who now have access to doctors at any time, without having to leave their home, covered by OHIP in Ontario.

Telemedicine brings many benefits to patients and physicians who practice it. In United States, research indicates that last year, virtual consultations were conducted by 22 million people in the country. Telemedicine is lagging behind in Canada compared to other places in the world but we are getting there. The pandemic is pushing for healthcare to evolve digitally.

There was a cultural prejudice from both, doctors and patients, using telemedicine, until we were all required to take advantage of digital services, from ordering meals through phone apps or shopping in supermarkets remotely, to hold work and family meetings by videoconference and to perform online consultations. We have then realized, that things can still go digital and still serve its purpose.

An article published by PWC spain addresses the transformation of telemedicine and its support during the pandemic. According to the article, out of necessity, there was a change in attitude from consumers and healthcare providers towards virtual care. During this period, doctors have realized that this type of care, serves its purpose: patients are satisfied and the service is cost effective. The study also shows telemedicine as a possible game changer and a tool for healthcare system improvement:

“After flattening the curve, an opportunity will open up to reform the healthcare system. Patients will have other expectations regarding health care and increasingly expect online care to complement face-to-face.”

Resistance to change by the medical team has also been a difficult obstacle to overcome. Physicians are sometimes not technologically advanced, nor are comfortable with a “non-interventionist” approach that seems contrary to their preparation for face-to-face patient care.

“Face-to-face medical care is undoubtedly a practice rooted in society. However, the coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and will change our mindset in a thousand ways, also in regards to our expectations about health care. We believe that telemedicine has an important role to play in the future of medical care: it means making the right care happen, in the right place, at the right time,” the article says.

And, in fact, telemedicine has a very clear goal when it comes to virtual care: to provide care to cases of low complexity quickly and safely and, if necessary, the professional can direct the patient to a healthcare institution for a face-to-face consultation. However, statistics indicate that around 80% of all medical care could be solved by virtual care and that about 70% of patients seek a professional not for prescription, but for guidance, which today can be performed without leaving their home.

Up until this date, there was never much discussion about telemedicine as we have today. In the world, telemedicine is already more advanced, but it was still little used, because of human behaviour, which tends to want to maintain a certain habit. But, the need ‘drives change’, and this moment of chaos has brought to light, the urgency of developing health care based on technology.

Telemedicine works very well in what we call ‘economic efficiency’: it has low cost and high productivity. Doctors need to understand this positive viability. Cost, as the doctor only needs computer and internet to perform the consultation. Productivity, as it is possible to perform more medical care from digital platforms full of features that facilitate real-time communication. Thus, it is possible for the doctor to cheapen their cost of care and be available to patients from anywhere in the province.

There is no longer the “future generation”. We are the ones who know how to use technology. Therefore, doctors should learn not only to live with it, but to use it well and adapt to the screens. Telemedicine is here to stay and will be further enhanced. In a continental country like ours, where it is difficult to provide access to everyone, telemedicine is the bare minimum.

EMERGE’s platform for Virtual Care is safe and agile so that patients can schedule their own online appointments and allow doctors to spend time where it matters the most: assisting patients.

Click here and talk to our team today.

To learn more about telemedicine and technological innovations for patient care continue to follow the updates on our blog. If you have any questions, please contact us.

EMERGE is passionate about facilitating the productiveness and efficiency of service in the healthcare industry. We aim to bring satisfaction to all our clients, whether it is making hospitals and clinics more prepared for accepting patients and cutting their operational costs, or saving patients’ time by avoiding frustrating waiting lines.

We hope our blog will be a supportive source of useful information that can be adapted to enhance your practice.

www.emergeer.com

What is Virtual Care and How does it work?

What is Virtual Care and how does it work?

One of the fronts of telemedicine, Virtual Care, as its name implies, refers to a medical consultation in which the patient is physically distant from the healthcare physician.

During the global pandemic of COVID-19, the Ontario Government made an exception, allowing this type of care. Virtual Care is not only essential to keep patients, especially those in risk groups, protected at home, but also helps to unburden the health system. The online consultation also expands the offer of specialists to communities in remote areas that lack these professionals.

In this article we will explain what Virtual Care is, how it works and what medical clinics need to perform this type of care.

Interested in implementing Virtual Care? Contact us today.

Virtual Care: the new possibility of interaction between physicians and patients

Virtual Care brings the possibility of conducting a medical consultation remotely, through secured online communication technologies, such as video conferencing or video calling platforms. Generally speaking, it can be done in the following ways:

Among physicians – when a general practitioner seeks assistance from a specialist, such as a second opinion on the diagnosis, a more indicated drug, or even guidance on performing a procedure. The patient may or may not be present;

Between doctor and patient – directly, without the mediation of another doctor or health professional;

Synchronous – interaction is immediate or response is provided in a short period of time. An example is video consultation between doctor and patient;

Asynchronous – happens at different times and does not require direct interaction between the patient and the doctor.

Virtual consultations can be initial (first care), follow-up, urgency or supervision (with the exchange of experiences between professionals), and serve from primary care and nursing to different medical specialties such as radiology, dermatology, cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, ophthalmology and others.

Advantages of Virtual Care

Among the advantages of Virtual Care, we can highlight the extension of the medical service for patients from geographical regions that are difficult to access. During the pandemic of the new coronavirus, for example, Virtual Care facilitates patients’ access to walk in clinics, since they can consult with professionals from anywhere in Ontario.

Other points that weigh in favor of Virtual Care are the optimization of time and costs, both for physicians and for patients, as clinical cases can be solved quicker.

In summary, we highlight the following benefits:

  1. Decrease in physical distances: access to medical specialists, even if the patient is in remote regions.
  2. More accurate diagnoses: physicians can get a second opinion and exchange knowledge with other specialists;
  3. Agility in patient care;
  4. Reduction of operating costs in clinics;
  5. Personal health information safety: stored with province-defined standards.

What it takes to deliver Amazing Virtual Care:

To perform the Virtual Care, the medical clinic needs a platform with a technology that guarantees the security of data exchanged among health professionals, patients and doctors.

When seeking a platform to be implement in the clinic, it is also important to verify the experience of the company that offers the service. It is always a good idea to check if the company is a reference in the area of innovation.

EMERGE presents services to assist doctors and patients

To help with actions to combat the spread of the new coronavirus in Ontario, EMERGE has developed a Virtual Care platform  that can be used by any walk in clinic. It provides a safe tool to communicate with patients and to expand the clinic’s market reach.

EMERGE’s platform for Virtual Care is safe and agile so that patients can schedule their own online appointments and allow doctors to spend time where it matters the most: assisting patients.

Click here and talk to our team today.

To learn more about telemedicine and technological innovations for patient care continue to follow the updates on our blog. If you have any questions, please contact us.

EMERGE is passionate about facilitating the productiveness and efficiency of service in the healthcare industry. We aim to bring satisfaction to all our clients, whether it is making hospitals and clinics more prepared for accepting patients and cutting their operational costs, or saving patients’ time by avoiding frustrating waiting lines.

We hope our blog will be a supportive source of useful information that can be adapted to enhance your practice.

www.emergeer.com