Telemedicine, a booming trend

• The pandemic accelerated the digitalisation of the health sector, and telemedicine has become a key tool for easing pressure on hospitals and bringing care closer to patients.

SANTO DOMINGO. – The arrival of the coronavirus has driven intense and very rapid digitalisation across every sector of today’s market and has shown how indispensable a world based on mobility and optimised services is. For the health sector, this transformation has been key.

With adoption perhaps a little slower in some specific cases, the health sector is discovering the many advantages of going digital. Among the changes being introduced, remote care stands out, and one of its booming technologies is Telemedicine.

Without doubt, telemedicine has been a necessity rather than an option. It has played a key role in easing pressure on hospitals and primary care centres during this health emergency. This tool makes it possible to monitor patients’ progress remotely and in real time.

This is the view of Fedor Vidal, an international expert in health technology and business and CEO of Arium Health, who says “A doctor’s visit doesn’t necessarily have to be in person, because telemedicine allows health professionals to assess and diagnose a patient simply by knowing their medical history and the latest diagnosis from their primary care doctor”.

Vidal believes that adaptation and acceptance by traditional doctors will be gradual, but its use must be fundamental at this time. Telemedicine has undoubtedly given health professionals a solution in circumstances they could hardly have handled otherwise.

According to the expert, one of the great advantages of this technology is the ability to seek the opinion of several professionals, noting that “this tool spreads best practices and clinical consensus on a medical opinion in cases that warrant it, as professionals can share the information needed to assess the patient’s diagnosis“.

There is no doubt that direct, in-person care from the health team is irreplaceable. However, we must recognise how useful it is to support healthcare with telemedicine as a complement to clinical care processes, especially during global health emergencies.

Fedor Vidal

He is CEO of Arium Health and former Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Johns Hopkins Medicine International, a leader in hospital technology strategy worldwide.

He won the CIO100 Award in 2017, an annual award recognising the world’s top 100 organisations using technology as a tool to create value.