Health is a critical component for every person. They need every assistance they can get in the medical field. We relied on face-to-face consultations, treatment, and recovery for most of history, and they are effective solutions. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic provided a significant challenge that made those physical interactions challenging to accomplish. As a result, people need to wait until hospitalization is necessary.
The shift proved to be a problem for both patients and medical establishments. However, it is essential to avoid the further spread of the virus. With face-to-face interactions becoming a limited medical procedure, medical services had to adjust. Fortunately, digital technology is available to provide an alternative. Hospitals and clinics adapted digital programs and equipment to provide healthcare to patients in any way they could. Some were already available before the pandemic, making the adjustment seamless. Here are a few healthcare services migrating to online platforms amid the pandemic.
Electronic Patient Records
The shift to digitalization started as soon as the internet was available for healthcare. One of the most challenging things for medical establishments to collect and organize is data. People had to fill up forms manually before consulting with a doctor. Past consultation records, diagnoses, and prescriptions also require fetching to ensure patients don’t have to go through repetitive processes. Unfortunately, it means medical staff going through mountain loads of patient information in storage areas. Fortunately, the online revolution provided a way to collect medical data on electronic records.
Getting crucial patient information will only require seconds of searching after patients input their names and medical insurance number on the system. Doctors will have access to their previous medical visits, diagnosis, and test results, giving them more data to make precise treatment and recovery routes. Transferring data to another hospital will also be seamless, with hundreds of confidential patient files and data arriving in the next hospital within seconds. The electronic patient records system is a valuable tool because it saves patients plenty of time. As the saying goes, a few seconds can make a significant difference between life and death.
Telehealth Services
Face-to-face consultations have always been the primary solution for the medical process. Most illnesses and diseases require physical observation and lab tests to confirm diagnoses, but the pandemic forced hospitals to become Covid-19 treatment centers. Nearly every area inside a medical establishment is a potential breeding ground for the virus. Covid-19 patients are coming, staying, and going by the hour, and you might end up suffering if you decide to visit. As a result, people had to endure their illnesses and diseases at home. However, it didn’t take long for the medical industry to pursue online services for remote patient healthcare.
Teleconsultation services are already available amid the pandemic. People who do not have time to visit hospitals, and don’t really need to, can receive treatment and prescriptions from doctors through phone calls. Amid the pandemic, the service became essential. Patients who used to stay at hospitals for non-ICU conditions can consult with telehealth services to avoid getting the virus. Online technology’s arrival in the medical industry proved timely, and it might have to stay that way until the pandemic is truly over.
Online Therapy Programs
Hospitals and healthcare services prioritize Covid-19 patients for now because there are plenty of things we don’t know yet about the virus. However, it meant that resources for other medical issues ended up taking a hit. While cancer treatment and respiratory problems did not necessarily receive less attention, many health complications became part of the background. Among them are mental health problems, disrupted heavily by the pandemic.
Another one that seemed to dissolve is medical support groups, particularly drug and alcohol abuse. It can be challenging to face those struggles yourself when the treatment program involves being around people suffering from the same situation. Fortunately, they also adjusted online. People can now go through alcohol rehab from the comfort of their own homes. Addiction remains a very severe threat. Fortunately, online therapy sessions keep people intact for the time being. It might not take long before the world returns to normal or end the pandemic, at least. Support groups might find their way back to face-to-face interactions, but the temporary alternative can work out well.
Final Thoughts
Healthcare should never suffer from disruptions. It is an essential sector that helps save people’s lives. The pandemic might take out face-to-face consultations, but technology offered a way to keep patients and doctors connected despite the distance. These revolutionary online health services are only the start. Who knows what the future holds for the medical industry?
