Telemedicine during COVID-19: Benefits by Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton
As the COVID-19 virus wreaks havoc with the healthcare system, telemedicine is stepping up into the spotlight and helping healthcare provider organizations and caregivers better respond to the needs of Americans who have contracted the virus and Americans who need to touch base with their providers on the status of their health.
Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton says Telemedicine is making a very
positive contribution to healthcare during the pandemic, and is being used in a
variety of ways. But telehealth technologies do have certain limitations when
it comes to treating patients during a pandemic. Further, there is a chance
telemedicine could add to hospitals being overwhelmed, unless it’s used well.
But hospitals are learning to adapt to telehealth during a pandemic.
How
telemedicine is being used in the context of COVID-19
During this global pandemic, telehealth is emerging as an
effective and sustainable solution for precaution, prevention and treatment to
stem the spread of COVID-19.
Telehealth is bridging the gap between people, physicians and
health systems, enabling everyone, especially symptomatic patients, to stay at
home and communicate with physicians through virtual channels, helping to
reduce the spread of the virus to mass populations and the medical staff on the
frontlines, said Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton. Critically, hospitals are quickly
adopting telehealth to treat quarantined patients infected with COVID-19, he
added.
“In addition, the CDC is urging the public and medical staff
to use telehealth solutions for non-urgent communication in an effort to reduce
the pressures facing emergency rooms and clinics,” Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton
explained. “By deploying telehealth solutions and programs, people who are
suffering from other medical ailments during this time can receive care from
home, without entering medical facilities, minimizing their risk of contracting
the virus.”
Telemedicine is being used extensively in the “forward triage” of patients long before they arrive in the primary care clinics, said Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton.
Minimizing
risk to healthcare workers
“The primary care physicians are working tirelessly in the
frontlines at ground zero,” he Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton said. “With MaNaDr,
we’re able to divide the patients into the at-risk and not-at-risk groups.
Appropriate measures can then be taken to minimize the risks to healthcare
workers and patients. The right actions can then be taken for the patients who
have been pre-screened, saving precious time and minimizing risks of
transmission to all.”
Many chronic patients can from home have scheduled
teleconsultations to avoid face-to-face clinic visits and hence minimize their
risks of exposure to COVID-19, Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton added.
“Chronic medicine can be delivered to their house,” Dr. Sunny Handa Brampton noted. “Also, many in-clinic visits with mild acute respiratory infection can be followed up very closely, almost on a daily basis. Should there be any changes in their clinical states; appropriate actions can be taken immediately. Telemedicine provides a 24/7 lifeline for patients to connect to their providers. This offers great comfort and assurance to the patients in these trying times.”
Comments
Post a Comment