Diagnosing patients remotely is no longer the stuff of sci-fi – it’s an increasingly common reality. Does this mean the days of the humble doctor’s office are over? Here’s what you need to know about telemedicine and how it’s changing the world of healthcare.
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine, or telehealth, is essentially a means of accessing healthcare remotely. Instead of going to see their doctor in person, patients use telecommunication and information technology, such as video calls, to interact with their healthcare professional and receive clinical healthcare from a distance.
This modern form of doctor-patient correspondence has become hugely popular, with an estimated 3.84 million patients using telemedicine around the world. This number is expected to hit 7 million next year. Global revenue is also expected to boom to $4.5 billion in 2018 – up from $440.6 million in 2013.
Beyond the four walls of the doctor’s office
Telemedicine is used in all sorts of healthcare settings, from hospitals to homes, private physician offices and other medical facilities. While telemedicine started as a way to treat and diagnose patients living in remote areas who were unable to easily reach a doctor, it has only grown in popularity thanks to its convenience. Faced with spending hours in a waiting room at the doctor’s office, or in the comfort of their own homes where they can work, relax and spend time with loved ones, it’s easy to see why many people prefer telemedicine. It’s also a great boon for those with limited mobility.
For example, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières has been using telemedicine since 2010, treating more than 3000 patients remotely. This allowed doctors to forward questions or scans to experts all around the world, receiving a reply within a matter of hours. This has helped the organization work in some of the most difficult environments around the world, such as war zones and areas affected by endemic diseases.
A more efficient means of delivering healthcare services
Telemedicine has many advantages for doctors and hospitals alike. Imagine being able to diagnose your patients from wherever you have an internet connection, meaning you could easily work from home when needed. Telemedicine can also cut any travel costs and give you more time to assist patients throughout the day.
Thanks to telemedicine, hospitals can easily expand their roster of experts, meaning they have a pool of specialists at their fingertips for when they need to consult with an expert in a specific field. This also has the potential to slash waiting times for patients, freeing up much-needed beds and helping hospitals improve patient turnaround.
However, it’s not all positives. According to one study, some patients use telehealth as an add-on service, not as a replacement to in-person visits. This means a percentage of patients are still physically visiting the doctor just as frequently and as a result, spending more money. The unfortunate reality is this: if you make something easily accessible, people will want to use it.
The doctor will see you now – in virtual reality
In the future, virtual reality could help patients feel more ‘present’ with doctors. Using the right sensors, it could even let doctors touch the affected areas and feel lumps or measure heart rates. The technology is primitive at the moment, but VR in healthcare is projected to be worth $3.8 billion by 2020 – opening up a whole new virtual world for the telemedicine sector.
Needless to say, telemedicine has the potential to revolutionise patient care, providing quick and simple access to healthcare professionals for those who need it.
Kuchunguza wagonjwa kwa mbali si jambo la uwongo tena - ni jambo la kweli linalopatikana kwa wingi. Je, hilo lamaanisha kwamba siku za ofisi ya daktari mwenye unyenyekevu zimekwisha? Hapa ni nini unahitaji kujua kuhusu telemedicine na jinsi ni kubadilisha dunia ya huduma za afya. Tiba ya mbali ni nini? Telemedicine, au telehealth, kimsingi ni njia ya kupata huduma za afya kwa mbali. Badala ya kwenda kumwona daktari wao kibinafsi, wagonjwa hutumia mawasiliano ya simu na teknolojia ya habari, kama vile simu za video, kuingiliana na mtaalamu wao wa huduma za afya na kupokea huduma za afya za kliniki kwa mbali. Ujumbe wa simu ya mkononi kati ya daktari na mgonjwa umekuwa maarufu sana, na takriban wagonjwa milioni 3.84 wanatumia telemedicine ulimwenguni kote. Idadi hiyo inatarajiwa kufikia milioni 7 mwaka ujao. Mapato ya kimataifa yanatarajiwa kuongezeka hadi $ 4.5 bilioni mnamo 2018 - juu kutoka $ 440.6 milioni mnamo 2013. Zaidi ya kuta nne za ofisi ya daktari, Telemedicine hutumiwa katika aina zote za mazingira ya huduma za afya, kutoka hospitali hadi nyumba, ofisi za daktari binafsi na vifaa vingine vya matibabu. Telemedicine ilianza kama njia ya kutibu na kugundua wagonjwa wanaoishi katika maeneo ya mbali ambao hawakuweza kufikia daktari kwa urahisi, lakini imeongezeka kwa umaarufu kwa sababu ya urahisi wake. Kutarajia kutumia masaa katika chumba cha kusubiri katika ofisi ya daktari, au katika faraja ya nyumba zao wenyewe ambapo wanaweza kufanya kazi, kupumzika na kutumia muda na wapendwa, ni rahisi kuona kwa nini watu wengi wanapendelea telemedicine. Pia ni baraka kubwa kwa wale wenye uhamaji mdogo. Kwa mfano, shirika la Madaktari Bila Mipaka (MSF) limekuwa likitumia telemedicine tangu mwaka 2010, likitibu wagonjwa zaidi ya 3000 kwa mbali. Hii iliruhusu madaktari kupeleka maswali au uchunguzi kwa wataalamu duniani kote, kupokea jibu ndani ya masaa machache. Hii imesaidia shirika kufanya kazi katika baadhi ya mazingira magumu zaidi ulimwenguni kote, kama vile maeneo ya vita na maeneo yaliyoathiriwa na magonjwa ya kawaida. Njia bora zaidi ya kutoa huduma za afya Telemedicine ina faida nyingi kwa madaktari na hospitali sawa. Fikiria kuwa na uwezo wa kugundua wagonjwa wako kutoka mahali popote unapokuwa na uhusiano wa mtandao, ikimaanisha unaweza kufanya kazi kutoka nyumbani wakati unahitaji. Telemedicine pia inaweza kupunguza gharama za kusafiri na kukupa muda zaidi wa kusaidia wagonjwa siku nzima. Kwa sababu ya telemedicine, hospitali zinaweza kupanua orodha yao ya wataalamu kwa urahisi, ikimaanisha kuwa wana hifadhi ya wataalamu kwa vidole vyao wakati wanahitaji kushauriana na mtaalam katika uwanja maalum. Hii pia ina uwezo wa kupunguza muda wa kusubiri kwa wagonjwa, kuachilia vitanda vinavyohitajika sana na kusaidia hospitali kuboresha mabadiliko ya wagonjwa. Hata hivyo, si mambo yote mazuri. Kulingana na utafiti mmoja, wagonjwa fulani hutumia huduma ya telemedicine kama huduma ya ziada, wala si kama mbadala wa ziara za kibinafsi. Hii inamaanisha asilimia ya wagonjwa bado wanatembelea daktari mara kwa mara na kwa sababu hiyo, wanatumia pesa zaidi. Ukweli wa bahati mbaya ni huu: ikiwa utafanya kitu kipatikane kwa urahisi, watu watataka kukitumia. Daktari atakuona sasa <unk> katika hali halisi Katika siku zijazo, hali halisi inaweza kusaidia wagonjwa kuhisi zaidi <unk> sasa <unk> na madaktari. Kwa kutumia sensorer sahihi, inaweza hata kuruhusu madaktari kugusa maeneo yaliyoathiriwa na kuhisi makunyanzi au kupima viwango vya moyo. Teknolojia ya VR bado ni ya msingi, lakini inatarajiwa kuwa na thamani ya $ 3.8 bilioni ifikapo mwaka 2020, ikifungua ulimwengu mpya wa virtual kwa sekta ya telemedicine. Telemedicine ina uwezo wa kuleta mapinduzi katika huduma za wagonjwa, kutoa upatikanaji wa haraka na rahisi kwa wataalamu wa huduma za afya kwa wale wanaohitaji.