[Sandra]

– Have your organizations accelerated the adoption of new telemedicine services “thanks” to COVID-19?

– Were previously equipped to provide these services?

– Do you think that security and data protection requirements are being properly met?

[Sandra]

In Spain, it has been recently released a study about e-health maturity level.

About telemedicine, the main conclusions are:

– Digital communication between professionals and patients remains at low level. (Level of maturity: 18.9%)

– Tele-monitoring is mostly being used in small-scale pilots (Level of maturity 11,9% – very low). It’s very important to encourage the use of telemonitoring in chronic diseases to ensure sustainability.

– Instant messaging between professionals and patients is only being used in a few regions.

– Tele-consultation: Only available at a decent level in 2 regions.

After COVID, telemedicine has experienced an 80-100% increase in its use in some specialties. Some countries like France or South Korea have even changed their regulations to accommodate this urgent need for telemedicine.

Will these advances remain when the COVID-19 is gone?

[Joachim]

Good morning Sandra,

I take this opportunity to raise your attention on the platform called ‘Digital Health Europe’, which compiled Telehealth solutions across Europe that would be used: https://digitalhealtheurope.eu/covid-19.html

Wishing you a good day.

[Sandra]

Thank you Joachim!

It’s actually a great overview of all the European solutions!

Have a nice day too,

Sandra

[Alexander]

Hi Sandra, thank you for your intersting contribution! I certainly think that COVID-19 represents a push for telemedicine adoption.

The COVID-19 crisis made it clear that not every visit to the doctor has to be personal. Many concerns and questions from patients can be resolved digitally more quickly. Health insurance companies have therefore made it possible for doctors to bill for examination over telemedical contact. The Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober and the Medical Association even recommend the tele-contact. The option of an e-prescription was also created, where doctors and pharmacists can exchange data and, above all, chronic patients no longer have to see a doctor.

In order to support medical practices quickly and efficiently the software company CompuGroup Medical (CGM) also provides all doctors in Austria with free of charge video consultation hours. Thus, infected with COVID-19 patients can receive effective, profound and personal advice via video signal directly and without the risk for doctors and staff. COVID-19 patients who are still in quarantine at home can use telemedicine technology for monitoring of their vital signs The private insurer Uniqa, in turn, has announced that it will be introducing the option of telemedicine with immediate effect for all customers who have taken the additional package “acute care”. “The medical consultation takes place in this case via smartphone.

[Alexander]

Hi Sandra, I hope you are doing good and healthy.

Visiting a doctor via app is becoming increasingly popular across Europe. The corona pandemic has changed a lot in this area. Not only are online health platforms becoming socially acceptable, but the first hospitals are opening up digital outpatient clinics. Under certain circumstances patients will soon not need to go to the hospital to have an appointment with the doctor. The reason is that some hospitals will soon start offering a “digital clinic”. You can find more information about these developments here https://www.iprocuresecurity.eu/video-instead-of-visits-to-the-doctor-now-also-hospitals-rely-on-telemedicine/.

Video instead of visits to the doctor: Now, also hospitals rely on telemedicine

[Johannes]

Hello together!I have a question for the practising doctors who are now increasingly working with telemedicine and video calls.What are your experiences? Does it work correctly?To what extent is this solution currently applicable in the respective areas?Could someone share their experiences?