MERX

Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024: 4 Key Takeaways

Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024: 4 Key Takeaways 1300 972 Exist Software Labs

The ongoing progress of technology will undoubtedly influence the trajectory of healthcare, underscoring the necessity for continuous adaptation and innovation within the field.

Last April 18, 2024, I had the opportunity to join the Future Healthcare Phil Summit 2024 held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Manila. The event was an immersive experience with multiple enlightening presentations and panel discussions by eminent speakers – all experts in their respective fields in health, technology, or both. Representatives of major institutions and decision makers who attended were also able to enjoy informative discussions and visit booths to learn more about current innovations in health tech. 

As a medical professional working in the tech sector, here are a few insights I have gleaned from the event: 

1.There is no end to innovation – health technology exists to make work easier for humankind.

To bridge the logistics gap, tech innovations have allowed medical professionals to store information in means convenient to them. Clinic and hospital managers have the option to store information in a cloud instead of having to track and keep patient information in a physical medical records section or a server room. Processes are streamlined to allow for easier correspondence between medical professionals and also between patients and their healthcare provider/s, such as through the means of telemedicine. Health tech provides solutions to issues regarding accessibility and lightens the workload for medical staff. Additionally, records and reports can easily be reviewed and analyzed to give insights on how to further improve operations.

2. Healthcare is constantly evolving; hence, health technology also has to responsively evolve.

Companies can provide solutions to the needs of the growing health industry. Tech solutions like the use of AI in medical data analytics,  hospital and clinic management systems that go beyond what is basic and could integrate other necessary services could potentially be the standard across the whole country, as they could address a myriad of needs coming from the healthcare sector. The nation’s health sector would, in turn, do well to keep up with the development of the tech industry in order to predict possible potentials for growth and improvement.

Schedule a meeting with us to delve deeper into your requirements and provide tailored solutions that align with your business objectives.

3. Medical professionals and key decision makers will benefit from improving their tech-related knowledge.

This allows them to understand developments from the field that are applicable to their needs. Knowing how things work would make them more proficient in using any system that is made for the medical industry, which would in turn ease the burdens during collaborative efforts. Proper use of tech solutions in healthcare would also ensure that lesser gaps would exist in patient care and healthcare delivery. 

4. Find the best solution and not just any solution.

Many companies could present features and give a rough idea of what they can deliver, but decisions need to be made based on more tangible concepts. A well-vouched provider that can ensure long-term support and can address queries with responses specific to the issue could reassure clients that their concerns will have concrete solutions. This is something that Exist Software Labs Inc., in partnership with Tableau, can deliver. From the comprehensive clinical management system and combination hospital information and clinical system, to the integrated AI-powered data analytics module, to other customized IT solutions, Exist Labs can find the solution for you.

Chelsea Patricia L. Lopez, MD is a general practitioner and a business analyst in an IT solutions firm. She graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and has a keen interest in the marriage of the healthcare and technology sectors. In her spare time, she studies traditional medicine and listens to a wide range of music.

Let us help you achieve your Healthcare goals through our technology solutions

How do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers?

How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022?

How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022? 768 487 Exist Software Labs

By this time, we all know that hospital and clinic systems are very helpful whenever it comes to patient care. Being able to know the patient’s medical history, allergic reactions, and previous prescriptions is very helpful in making sure that our healthcare workers can provide the best care possible. Since the landscape of Healthcare IT is continuously evolving, we should know how do hospital and clinic systems help our healthcare workers.

How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help Our Healthcare Workers in 2022?

Most of us take for granted the importance of hospital and clinic systems in achieving quality patient care.  However, no one can argue that to provide the best care possible, doctors and nurses require valuable medical information like medical history, allergy information, medications, and other clinical data.

But these systems not only benefit patients, it also helps our healthcare workers making them more successful in the work they do which is saving lives!

During this time of the pandemic, our healthcare workers are front liners – leading us in the battle against COVID-19. Knowing that, isn’t it important that we also protect them? It is possible that some patients have been consciously hiding information from their care team that could potentially put them at risk. Some have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 yet don’t feel the need to disclose it to their physicians. Whatever their reasons, these actions put healthcare workers at risk.

So how do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers?

Knowing the Patient History

Knowledge about the patient’s history and previous conditions that could affect their current state. It also helps them by being able to avoid drugs that had already shown adverse reactions on the patient. The efficiency of patient care also increases because redundant tests will be avoided.

In relation to the current pandemic, being able to know the patient’s history could help in determining the current causes of their illnesses, which could lead to knowing if it is COVID related or not.

Misreading of Prescriptions or Previous Notes

With EMRs, everything is digitally transcribed. A 2007 study in US showed that when hospitals started using EMRs, there was a 66% drop in prescription errors. Thousands of medication errors were recorded yearly due to a very simple factor – illegibility of handwriting.

Support Tools

Having a hospital or clinic system that has support tools has a great effect on patient outcomes. Some examples of support tools are drug referencing tools and evidence-based decision support tools, such as Lexicomp and UpToDate by Wolters Kluwer. By being able to look at previous studies, evidence, and drug approaches, physicians and clinicians will be able to have a more efficient, effective, and holistic view of the patient’s recovery plans. 

A survey done in 2020 with 14,137 participants showed that 98% of them are satisfied with UpToDate and that they trust UpToDate as a point-of-care clinical information resource. 96% of them believed that UpToDate improves the quality of care they can provide. 90% said that using UpToDate saves them time. 88% made changes to their patient management, and 86% believe that UpToDate has led to more appropriate diagnostic testing. ‘’

Now that COVID is mutating faster than we can cope, having a support tool that is updated by professionals around the world gives our healthcare workers the edge to make sure that they and their patients are safer.

Telemedicine Module

Another emerging tool for our healthcare workers is the option to do consultations virtually. With widespread internet and affordable devices, geography poses no issue anymore. Telemedicine provides doctors and their patients an immediate and more convenient way of doing consultations. Because of the risks posed by COVID-19, it is definitely safer not only for the patients who have to travel, but also for the physicians and clinicians as it drastically reduces the number of in-person appointments. Despite its limitations of not being able to perform close examination crucial to some specializations, the benefit of remote consults will benefit healthcare workers as it helps reduce the spread of infections.

Hospital and Clinic Systems Do Help.

We could go on and on about answering the question “How Do Hospital and Clinic Systems Help our Healthcare Workers in 2022?” and discuss the many benefits of these systems, but it all boils down to answering the question. Does it do good for patients and healthcare workers alike?

Learn more about Hospital and Clinic Systems. Schedule a demo now.

 

Check Out Our Insights on Digital Healthcare

Click the button to learn more.

Using UpToDate, Lexicomp, and MERX Helps Save Patients Lives, Java, Java Developer Philippines

Save Patients Lives by Using UpToDate, Lexicomp, and MERX in 2022

Save Patients Lives by Using UpToDate, Lexicomp, and MERX in 2022 768 487 Exist Software Labs

The Power of One for Decision Support webinar was held last June 24, 2021! In the clip below, Michelle Topacio from Wolters Kluwer Clinical Effectiveness discussed how using Wolters Kluwers’ UpToDate and Lexicomp helps healthcare providers deliver the best quality of care and actually save patients lives!

Providing the best evidence to make harmonized decisions.

For those using UTD, the diagnostic error was 2% as compared to a 24% diagnostic error rate for those who were not (using UpToDate)

UpToDate is composed of a team of 7,300+ clinician experts who continuously maintain and publish updates. It has 6,900+ unique drug entries, 9,500+ graded recommendations, 12,000+ clinical topics, 1,500+ patient education topics, 425+ journals that are hand searched and reviewed, and 514,000+ references.

A survey done in 2020 with 14,137 participants showed that 98% of them are satisfied with UpToDate and that they trust UpToDate as a point-of-care clinical information resource. 96% of them believed that UpToDate improves the quality of care they can provide. 90% said that using UpToDate saves them time. 88% made changes to their patient management, and 86% believe that UpToDate has led to more appropriate diagnostic testing.

UpToDate, Lexicomp, and MERX Help Save Patients Lives

These kinds of outcomes are critical in assessing the effectiveness, the utility, and the impact Wolters Kluwer’s resources can have in improving clinical effectiveness.

As a Gold Partner of Wolters Kluwer in the Philippines, Exist is committed to finding ways on improving hospital and clinic systems while promoting evidence-based care to help them achieve quality patient outcomes and Save Patient’s Lives.

By integrating both UpToDate and Lexicomp into MERX, clients can instantly access these clinical decision support systems within the hospital system’s interface.  As the clip below shows, MERX users can readily take advantage of information references from UpToDate and Lexicomp at the point of care! 

  • With this, Merx provides clinicians with the tools that integrate into clinical workflows that reduce medication and diagnostic errors.
  • Easily align care teams across the entire healthcare system with information that supports evidence-based care this in return helps Save Patient’s Lives.
  • Provide users with information right at their fingertips that helps the physician make good decisions and ensures that the nurses, pharmacists, and patients are all aligned with that decision-making.

Save more lives with UpToDate, Lexicomp, and MERX. Schedule a demo now!

Check Out Our Insights on Digital Healthcare

Click the button to learn more.

How Integrating UpToDate to Hospital Information Systems Helps

How integrating UpToDate to Hospital Information Systems in 2022 Helps

How integrating UpToDate to Hospital Information Systems in 2022 Helps 768 487 Exist Software Labs

Introducing innovation into the health system is directed at enhancing clinical effectiveness

The healthcare industry is becoming more and more volatile as made more apparent by the ongoing global pandemic. Globally, research is being conducted in hopes to find better ways and solutions to dealing with the virus. Prescriptions, medications, and treatment protocols are updated on a daily basis in order to minimize the rise of COVID cases and deaths. Simply put, all clinicians and health practitioners rely on updated data to improve the delivery of patient care.

The power of accessible medical information and staying updated on medical news, studies, and breakthroughs are essential in improving patient outcomes. Such valuable information is exactly what UpToDate offers. Read on to learn more about this evidence-based decision support tool, and how integrating UpToDate to Hospital Information Systems can be helpful.

What is UpToDate?

UpToDate is developed by Wolters Kluwer, a provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers, students, and the next generation of healthcare providers. 

UpToDate is updated daily following a continual comprehensive review of peer-reviewed journals, clinical databases, and other resources, by more than 7,100 world-renowned physician authors and editors.

UpToDate not only provides clinicians with easily accessible data, it also aligns care teams to provide a more unified decision whenever it comes to clinical analysis. UpToDate also provides the opportunity to align care teams to provide a more unified decision on clinical analyses. Consequently, this allows a more synchronized delivery of patient care through evidence-based data and recommendations by renowned experts around the world. 

Results from Asian Hospital and Medical Center have shown that with the use of UpToDate, there has been a downward trend in ICU mortality. Dr. Ana Maria Jimenez, Director for Quality, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, says

If, for instance, an ICU intensivist needs to review certain topics, be it about an illness, diagnostics, or differential diagnosis, and especially when they encounter these topics for the first time, they turn to UpToDate.

UpToDate and COVID-19 Treatment

COVID-19 is novel, therefore physicians require regular updates on its infections and treatments. With UpToDate, resources are updated daily – this brings clinicians more confidence in making sure that their decisions are supported by evidence and information.

Dr. Jimenez also states:

The ICU intensivists also use UpToDate to check if there are new guidelines on process measures for ICU as well as the contention with regard to how fast to lower FiO2 in ventilated Covid-19 patients. Our Emergency Physicians likewise refer to UpToDate for Covid-19 treatment updates like for the management of ARDS and for the use of high-flow nasal cannulas. Furthermore, we consulted the literature when we created the hospital policy on protected code blue, which resulted in an improvement in our Healthcare Worker safety.

MERX HIS – Integrating UpToDate 

Critical to healthcare quality and safety, clinical effectiveness ensures patients’ total healthcare experience remains the primary priority

As a Gold Partner of Wolters Kluwer in the Philippines, Exist continues to find ways how to improve its hospital and clinic systems to promote evidence-based care to help them achieve quality patient outcomes.

At present, we are already integrating UpToDate (and Lexicomp) into our hospital information system, MERX. This means that clients can easily access these clinical decision systems right inside their MERX interface. With this integration, clinicians and healthcare teams will have quick access to relevant and updated information provided by UptoDate and Lexicomp and help harmonize decisions in the delivery of patient care.

By integrating UpToDate, MERX is further able to:

  • Provide tools that integrate into clinical workflows that reduce medication and diagnostic errors, 
  • Align care teams across the entire healthcare system with information that supports evidence-based care. 
  • Provide information that helps the physician make good decisions and ensures that the nurses, pharmacists, and patients are all aligned with that decision-making.

This quality of healthcare solution that Exist Healthcare provides is one of the reasons why the team caters to 3 out of 6 JCI (Joint Commission International) Accredited Philippine hospitals. 

Get the most out of your hospital system by integrating UpToDate into MERX!

Learn more about this in our upcoming webinar on The Power of One for Decision Support! Click here for more details.

Check Out Our Insights on Digital Healthcare

Click the button to learn more.

The Power of One for Decision Support 2022, Java, Java Philippines

The Power of One for Decision Support 2022

The Power of One for Decision Support 2022 768 487 Exist Software Labs

A FREE Learning Session on why Every Decision Matters

 

This event will be held on June 24, 2021. Click here to register!

More than ever, outcomes are determined by the quality of care team decisions and alignment of decision-making across teams! Care suffers when members of care teams — physicians, nurses, and pharmacists — look up clinical information on disparate and unconnected resources. “The Power of One for Decision Support” is vital in saving lives

To truly improve the quality of care, reduce unwanted variability and reduce costs, you need to empower all healthcare providers and patients with trusted and consistent information. This means having actionable evidence-based content from one trusted source that works across the continuum of care and aligns with best practices.

The Power of One for Decision Support

Join us as Wolters Kluwer and Exist, host, a learning session on “The Power of One for Decision Support” and take a deeper look into the industry’s most comprehensive medication and disease solution to support hospital clinicians’ decision-making and help enhance patient safety. 

See how Exist’s Merx hospital information system provides quick access to UpToDate and Lexicomp to align care teams with the same evidence-based guidance — that translates into better, more “harmonized” care for patients!

 

Here are the speakers that will help us make each decision count!

 

Michelle Topacio, Partner Business Lead, ASEAN Region, Wolters Kluwer Clinical Effectiveness


Michelle has more than 15 years experience in the healthcare industry covering pharmaceutical, medical devices and healthcare IT. She joined Wolters Kluwer Clinical Effectiveness Division in February 2021 and is responsible in offering Clinical Decision Support resources for the Philippine market. Michelle is a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine to support healthcare institutions and medical schools to reduce variability in care and improve patient outcomes.

Willex Perez, VP of Sales and Marketing,
Exist Software Labs, Inc.


Willex Perez is one of the founders of Exist and the key person responsible for Exist’s Sales and Marketing group. He also heads Exist Healthcare and is in charge of leading the push for healthcare IT innovations with their Merx Hospital Information System and Medcurial — its enterprise leading clinic management system and EMR.

Health. Java. Java Philippines. digital health

Digital Health Is Inevitable in 2020

Digital Health Is Inevitable in 2020 768 487 Exist Software Labs

Like most businesses, the strategies adopted by hospitals and clinics seem self-serving.  Yet oftentimes, the one that successfully brings a good business return in investment, are those that put the customer both front and center. Despite reluctance, digital health is one of those strategies that will greatly empower patients and drive innovations as well.

Improving the Digital Health Access

Improving healthcare access remains elusive and the Covid pandemic has made it even more difficult. The demand for care services is unlikely to dip.  For healthcare providers, adopting innovative strategies like standardized digital practices can create efficiencies and improve service deliveries that will lead to savings which could help drive costs and make care more affordable. 

As if to belabor the point on the fragmentation that has long plagued healthcare, Reddy, and Jannsens write, “the Covid-19 crisis has prepared the ground for widespread adoption of digital healthcare solutions” that requires a fundamental rethinking in the use of digital platforms around key themes that include:

      • Information transparency.  The use of health registries to create a single source of truths for all stakeholders especially the patient reduces administrative burden as well as to enjoin patients in managing their medical care proactively.
      • Interoperability.  Holistic not siloed. Disparate patient records will remain an age-old problem as long as records remain in paper making collaboration and standardization of care difficult and costly. 
      • Claims processing.  One word. Fraud. Transparent systems that support faster validation make a whole world of difference for the operations of care providers.
      • Change from episodic to wellness-oriented care; from service-based to value-based healthcare.  These two healthcare ideals deserve an article of their own but to simplify, these are about preventive health maintenance (prevention cost way less than cure) and results-based care incentives (better, not unguaranteed, care outcomes)  both of which disrupt the payment model.

Overall, digital platforms will change care delivery models, like how telemedicine has abruptly transformed the patient visit.  The world is looking at unprecedented change caused by this pandemic and healthcare players will have important decisions to make if they are to survive, thrive, or perish in this new normal.

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/digital-health-mission-a-200-billion-opportunity-ndhm-will-greatly-empower-patients/2095337/

Check Out MERX Compliant

Looking for a new clinic or hospital information system? Our MERX Compliant includes an online patient portal for appointments and patient management of records and Rx, a telemedicine module with integrated EMR, with built-in Philhealth eClaims module.  Learn more about it here.

Healthcare. Java. Java Philippines.

The Next-Level Gameplay in Healthcare in 2020

The Next-Level Gameplay in Healthcare in 2020 768 487 Exist Software Labs

The healthcare industry is experiencing an immense paradigm shift as the world battles against the global health crisis.

Such turn of tides pressed health institutions and other concerned parties to rethink how they will carry out their duties, both to achieve more efficient outcomes and to curtail the spread of the unseen virus. In Asia alone, governments are implementing measures differing from one another, which results in contrasting ramifications, both successful and unsuccessful.

Healthcare in the PH Updates

The Philippines’ Department of Health recently issued the Administrative Order 2020-037 or the Guidelines on Implementation of Local Health Systems Maturity LevelsThe order aims to provide local health units with a health information management system that can support the needs of all health care providers in the Philippines during and even post-pandemic. Among the maturity indicators is an EMR system integrated with a telemedicine service.

An account wherein a person snip-snaps on the idea of consulting to a medical professional during this dire time in the health sector is not an untold tale. The pandemic sparked fear of going outside the house, more so, of going to health facilities possibly packed with infectious pathogens.

Virtual visits through telemedicine should now be an option, especially for patients with chronic diseases and those living with immuno-compromised individuals, babies, or senior citizens. Moreover, telemedicine also helps with real-time tracking and monitoring of possible asymptomatic virus carriers.

According to healthcareitnews.com, nearly 80% of cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and respiratory physicians said that their use of virtual care technology had increased during the pandemic. More than half of which are not using telemedicine before the crisis. Furthermore, more than three-quarters of them said they would continue to use virtual care technology in the future.

The above data clearly shows how COVID heightened the demand for telemedicine services and will continue to support healthcare providers beyond the pandemic. It delivered on its promise of reducing person-to-person transmission, relieving the burden of the overworked care providers, and providing easier access to quality healthcare for patients who cannot meet their respective physicians.

Different countries around the globe have seen how telemedicine can help in reducing the threat/effects of COVID. Indonesia, for example, declared a shortage of protective gears and medical practitioners, with only three (3) doctors for every 10,000 Indonesians, and limited healthcare facilities. The government of Indonesia then directed its citizens to telehealth firms who can offer verified medical guidance, provide consultations via telephone or text, and prescribe medications and have them delivered to the patients who need them.

Vietnam, one of the few Asian countries to manage the COVID threat, also launched its first official telemedicine application as part of its valuable tools/gears in fighting the pandemic.

These case studies show how technology, particularly telemedicine, serves an important role in the global health battle. It is no longer just a band-aid solution but an inevitable future, that although in-person visits have their fair share of benefits, embedding telemedicine as an integral part of healthcare is a must-have level up – an upgrade that all care providers must consider.

Check Out MERX Compliant

Looking to equip your clinic with an enterprise telemedicine solution that goes beyond the virtual call?

Health. Java. Java Philippines. Telemedicine

Telemedicine in 2020 and its Benefits and Disadvantages to Your Health

Telemedicine in 2020 and its Benefits and Disadvantages to Your Health 768 487 Exist Software Labs

If you are not aware yet, the practice of medicine is in the midst of a reckoning forced by a global pandemic with every response designed to reduce the risk of viral transmission. While telemedicine has been around for quite some time, only now has it become less of an option but more of mandatory service. Read below to learn more about the benefits and disadvantages of telemedicine for patients as well as providers.

Telemedicine, or telehealth, is medical care that you can receive digitally often via video conferencing that replaces seeing a doctor in person.

Benefits to Patients 

      • Convenience and Access: The benefits of telemedicine include reducing geographic barriers, improving access to care, cutting down on travel time, and preventing the spread of illness. Even if you live near a doctor, telemedicine can be more convenient than traditional office visits. It eliminates travel time, cuts down on waiting rooms, and allows for more flexible scheduling outside of regular office hours. Telemedicine improves access to medical care especially those with limited mobility, such as people with a spinal cord injury or neuromuscular disorders.
      • Prevents the spread of infection or illness: More people are opting to use telehealth services now because it limits potential exposure to infection. This can be especially useful for those who are considered high risk, like the elderly population or people with pre-existing medical conditions
      • Telemedicine allows for easy management of chronic illness: With remote patient monitoring, some chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure can be more easily managed. For example, some patients can use at-home devices – like blood pressure cuffs, digital scales, and blood glucose monitors – to record vital data that can be digitally transferred to your doctor.

Benefits for healthcare providers

      • Keeps business of providing medical care in business: It’s not just the commercial establishments that are bearing the brunt of a business downturn during the pandemic. Even care institutions are negatively affected by COVID19.  Having to deal with the surge in patients in reference to the adequacy of personnel is well documented. But other than treating infection cases, the need for other medical specializations services plummeted.  Telemedicine enables these providers to continue the medical practice. Providers who offer telemedicine services may incur fewer overhead costs. For example, they may pay less for front desk support or be able to invest in an office space with fewer exam rooms.
      • Additional revenue stream: Clinicians may find that telemedicine supplements their income because it allows them to provide care to more patients.
      • Less exposure to illness and infections: When providers see patients remotely, they do not have to worry about exposure to any pathogens the patient may carry.

However, telehealth can’t completely replace in-person visits for chronic or special medical conditions. Someone with diabetes will still need an annual in-person eye exam and patients who just had surgery will need to be personally seen to check for progress.

Telemedicine has limitations and may not suit every person or situation. Compared to traditional care methods, a doctor cannot “feel” the patient (think abdominal examination), which is why traditional office visits must not be abandoned, but rather supplemented through telemedicine.

The following sections look at some disadvantages for patients and healthcare providers.

Disadvantages for patients

Not all patients can be a good fit for telemedicine. Some drawbacks of this include:

      • Securing medical data: Increased chances of hackers and other criminals to be able to access a patient’s medical data, especially if the patient accesses telemedicine on a public network or via an unencrypted channel.
      • Urgent Care delays: When a person needs emergency care, accessing telemedicine first may delay treatment, particularly since a doctor cannot provide life-saving care or laboratory tests digitally.

Disadvantages for healthcare providers

Healthcare providers may also face some drawbacks associated with telemedicine, including:

      • Technological issues: Finding the right digital platform to use can be challenging. Also, a weak connection can make it difficult to offer quality care. Clinicians must also ensure that the telemedicine program they use is secure and fully compliant with privacy laws.
      • An inability to examine patients: Providers must rely on patient self-reports during telemedicine sessions. This may require clinicians to ask more questions to ensure that they get a comprehensive health history. If a patient leaves out an important symptom that might have been noticeable during in-person care, this can compromise treatment.

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/telemedicine-benefits#disadvantages

Check Out MERX Compliant

Looking for a complete enterprise telemedicine solution that goes beyond the virtual call?

Telemedicine. Java. Java Philippines.

Telemedicine in 2020: A House Call in its New & Improved Form

Telemedicine in 2020: A House Call in its New & Improved Form 768 487 Exist Software Labs

It used to be that doctors were the ones doing the consult visits and by the patient bedside performing a medical consultation.  In modern times, these were replaced with the patient’s going to doctors’ offices and interaction was now happening across the desk. Factoring infection risks and patient comfort, telemedicine provides a necessary alternative — one which may soon become the norm.

The trip to the doctor, a rather uneasy experience for most people, suddenly turns to be a thing of the past.  The threat of COVID has put everyone on alert that even periodic out-patient visits have to be second-guessed in light of the risks. Unsustainability and population growth have put an end to doctors doing house calls in the same way that the threat of infection prevents people from showing up in clinics or hospitals.

Regardless of one’s attitude towards the use of technology, it is without a doubt that it has been part and parcel of the way that the practice of medicine continues to evolve.   Lab equipment and imaging machines aside, medicine and technology go hand in hand and would continue to do so. Right now, it teams up once again to bring the patient and the doctor together via a screen display.

While there are certain situations where a personal visit is warranted, the use of telemedicine presents a valuable tool in limiting the risks, especially in today’s pandemic.  Though talking to a screen would seem to replace the warmth of face-to-face interaction, the cold reality is that telemedicine provides each participant with a level of comfort by being in familiar surroundings.  Truth be told, it is probably not telemedicine that makes this interaction awkward because talking virtually with friends is certainly something most of us would look forward to.

Telemedicine and its Importance

Whether face to face or virtual, logic dictates that people heighten their guards when discussing serious topics, and talking about a health issue does fit into that category.  A smoker would certainly feel less comfortable being visited in his home by his pulmonologist because it exposes the reality that despite the advice, evidence at home would probably present more of an embarrassment.  For years, the privacy of a doctor’s office serves the patient more than the doctor.  Using telemedicine, a peek into the patient’s environment seems possible – which yields more valuable information (eg. senior citizens and home hazards like stairs, etc.) but only for those patients who have developed stronger relationships with their providers.

“In essence, COVID-19 has allowed us to lower our psychological barriers to the adoption of technology,” Professor Vishall Ahuja says. “All of a sudden, we realize we’re not as inflexible as we thought we were. We’re not as tech-adverse as we were. Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Check Out MERX Compliant

Looking to equip your clinic with an enterprise telemedicine solution that goes beyond the virtual call?