Healthcare Beyond The Hospital

Words by Gabriel Pe

THE FUTURE OF TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine or telehealth has a long history dating back to the late 1800s. It started with doctors consulting via telegram, then telephone, radio, email, and today, through video call or app-based consultation.

Despite its long history, telehealth is dynamically evolving — now more than ever. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has seen a massive boost in the Philippines, with patients opting to consult via the internet or phone instead of going to the hospital. There are many possible reasons why telehealth has grown since the pandemic. It may be because people are afraid of going to hospitals due to fear of exposure to the virus. Others say it’s a social responsibility to avoid direct contact with other people when one is exhibiting symptoms. It could also be that the technology and timing were ripe, and the internet now allows faster and longer connections to doctors. But whatever the reason may be, telehealth will stay and even grow.

Telehealth before and after the pandemic

Before the COVID 19 pandemic, telehealth was a niche area. There were just limited dedicated apps or programs tailor-made for telehealth. Patients who wanted a quick consultation would rather go to a clinic than use an app.

Once the pandemic arrived, there was significant growth in telehealth usage and platforms. Now apps like KonsultaMD offer 24/7 telehealth consultation without need for an appointment. Even the government helped create telehealth services to hospitals, such as the one used in PGH and the notable Bayanihan E-Consulta project from the Office of the Vice President. The two projects were aimed at helping patients connect to doctors to determine if they have COVID 19 or to consult about other health concerns in the safety of their homes. It also helped lessen the load of hospitals struggling with the influx of patients since most outpatient consultations could be done remotely. Advances in communications technology have also been instrumental in the continuing evolution of telehealth services.

How is telehealth changing?

Technology is transforming telehealth, from 5G connectivity enabling stronger connections to wearable technology that allows your physician to monitor your condition without your physical presence at the clinic. What’s in the future for telehealth?

Wearables to track your body, remotely

Wearables are a great way to track your body functions. The latest smartwatches now have monitors to check your blood pressure or your blood oxygen level (like an oximeter). Beyond smartwatches, there are now bio wearables that provide indepth tracking of your body, like glucose levels, ketamine, and even blood alcohol levels. These new generations of wearables can be used to transmit your data to your physician for better insight at the inner workings of your body.

AI to decode your body

Hand in hand with wearables, AI development will complement telehealth. AI can rapidly decode and decide on the course of action a patient can do prior to his consultation. On the other end, AI can help doctors quickly analyze and organize the massive amount of data generated by wearables. They can help organize the results for easy organization and may even facilitate early diagnosis.

At the back end, AI can also help organize the clinic setup. Telehealth will one day be used to book a proper consultation, with AI helping to organize queuing, answer quick FAQ, and even schedule consultations.

Beyond the personal

Telehealth is not limited to doctor-to-patient interaction. Telehealth is also making an impact behind the scenes. Video conferencing is used by doctors to easily collaborate with fellow practitioners in patient treatment. It allows doctors to communicate quickly with fellow doctors in case of dire circumstances. Video conferencing allows the doctor to offer medical opinions to colleagues after seeing the patient through video.

Neither is it limited to doctorto-doctor collaboration. Video conferencing is also useful for the medical training of future doctors. Residents can quickly call on their attending doctor for a second opinion in tricky cases. Doctors can also guide residents on what to do in emergency situations if he is not physically present. Another telehealth application is technical support, particularly in areas that lack expertise. A prime example of this is if a provincial hospital receives a new scanning machine (let’s say an MRI), they can ask fellow technicians via video conference to help guide them through difficult situations like for specific area scans. Doctors likewise can specifically ask and immediately see scans through new telehealth tools and video conferencing.

Bringing healthcare to the home

Of the future uses of telehealth, the most important is the prospect of completely bringing healthcare to the home. From current chronic consultations, we can soon see 24/7 intensive care monitoring via telehealth.

It can also provide holistic care covering everything from physical, dental, and even mental health. You can consult with doctors about anything without leaving your house. In the future, clinical tests canl also be done remotely, with clinics being booked by apps or online for home sample collecting.

Then, we can all truly be healthy at home.