On Telemedicine: More must be done

As the battle with the unseen foe continues, now in the 2nd year stretch in the Philippines, the tides indeed have changed. The outbreak of COVID-19 as a public health emergency has brought telemedicine to the spotlight as the new means of delivering healthcare services to the people.

The pandemic transformed medical practice to a whole new level; having all these innovative and unique solutions to address the need of healthcare services comes the strengthening of telemedicine in the country. As a new mode of delivering healthcare services, telemedicine uses telecommunication technologies with physical distance as a critical issue, therefore being the most feasible, acceptable, acceptable, and hopefully, one of the most effective ways to improve the destructed healthcare system of the country.

We cannot deny the fact that telemedicine has paved the way to easily deliver healthcare services to the people, it being both patient and physician-centered which protects and promotes security and safety. The service being rendered real-time most of the time reduces the risk of exposure to the virus, for the people, physicians, and even other healthcare workers. This then improves the access to care while minimizing the risk and the direct transmission of the virus.

Telemedicine, even though already present pre-pandemic, now has become a basic need for the public, especially healthcare professionals and providers. The Department of Health has expected the platform to have a multiplier effect as there is a limited number of doctors in the country. This allows them to practice their field and widen their reach while doing so.

Of course, despite this huge innovative solution, limitations still exist. Patients and healthcare providers must see that in order for this to work, both should have the necessary equipment and stable connections. Far-flung areas or those who are not easy to reach cannot benefit fully from this change. Mobile communication is not enough and improvements in connectivity in rural areas are far from reality.

Also, to say the least, despite this increase in accessibility, digital literacy of most people, especially older patients, are at the lowest levels. Patients should be informed and educated to tap their way into this service, not only making it accessible but also easy and convenient for them to use. The government, through the LGUs and barangays, should make these connections and even computers available for everyone.

Privacy and confidentiality is also one of the things that should be looked into. Patients must be assured that their medical data are stored and are used securely by their physicians, and in accordance with the existing data privacy protection. Safeguarding the patient’s information is a must.

Indeed, the government has come a long way in developing such a framework to improve accessibility to healthcare but just the same, more must be done. In addition to the released “Guidelines on the use of Telemedicine in COVID-19 Response” by the Department of Health, guidelines on its use post-pandemic should be underway. DOH, maximizing the use of technology to connect people to healthcare services, extends its services to other regions not just in the metro, creating a national network of healthcare providers and telemedicine partners.

On top of that, local government units and barangay health centers should be turned to viable places wherein citizens with difficulty in accessing other audio and visual conferencing platforms can easily avail such services and such efforts can augment the benefits of telemedicine. Systematic planning of such collaborations should be put in place in order for the smooth development of telemedicine to take place.

In a developing country like our nation, we only hope to see substantial progress as telemedicine continues to advance. The issue of healthcare in the Philippines is always crucial and we, the public, should demand this increase in affordability, accessibility, availability and quality of healthcare services amidst and even after this public health emergency. With telemedicine at hand, it can be an integral part of our healthcare system, answering the call for our right and privilege to healthcare services and aid.

Kaira Joice Generato

Photo courtesy of Angellie Eunice Baluyut

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