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Saturday Citizen reports that with telemedicine on the rise, early research into virtual consultations is highlighting the benefits for users, as well as areas where progress needs to be made for patients and healthcare providers alike.
This is according to Geraldine Bartlett, chief professional officer for Universal Healthcare, who was speaking at the 2022 Board of Healthcare Funders conference in Cape Town in May. Bartlett noted that recent international data indicated that virtual consultations have become well entrenched as part of the patient-provider exchange. While telemedicine, or telehealth as it is now referred to, has existed for some time via remote communication such as e-mail and text messages, Covid has precipitated the inevitable advancement of this type of technology. Bartlett noted that virtual platforms offered a more interactive telehealth experience where multiple elements of a real-time consultation could take place, including the sharing of information, recording of medical notes, sending electronic documents and the actual consultations itself. “At a local level, we are also seeing an uptick in the demand for remote consulting. It is early days and the data is changing constantly, but for now, learnings from the telehealth platform developed and operated by Universal Healthcare show that certain groups of patients in particular are searching for telehealth options, most notable parents of young children looking for lower-cost options,” said Bartlett. But, there are aspects of virtual consultations that require considerations, such as the correct privacy protocols as well as security of information. “It is important that users take care when selecting a virtual consulting room and that they make sure they opt for a reputable service that has the necessary security and privacy measures in place.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard on page 10 of Saturday Citizen of 11 June 2022
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