There are 2.2 doctors per 1000 inhabitants. The European Union average in this respect is 3.4 doctors, in this situation telemedicine is not only a trend but a necessary solution. Telehealth solutions enable overcoming geographical barriers – remote diagnostics, therapy and prevention, control and education. Telehealth uses the most advanced achievements in medicine, computer science, telecommunications, and biomedical engineering. For its purposes, it involves public telephone networks and a GSM network.
In the report of the Chamber of Commerce, telemedicine is divided into several areas:
1) Telecare – care for chronically ill patients, including those with functional limitations. This type of telemedicine activity consists in measuring the patient’s vital signs by various sensors, e.g. pulse, blood pressure, saturation, ECG, and CTG. The measurements are sent to a monitoring center, where they are developed and pre-interpreted by specialized software. If necessary, the results will go to the doctor.
2) Telediagnostics – a description of the study based on medical multimedia data (digital, text, image, sound data) and sent via telecommunication networks (e.g. telephone) or ICT (e.g. Internet) as saved data files.
3) Teleconsultation – it is possible to conduct an online conversation with a high-class specialist.
4) Teaching – most often it is implemented via internet telemedicine platforms supporting medical workers and patients. This category also includes various types of information bases enabling obtaining and exchanging information on treatment methods.
5) Teleshopping, Teleoperations – a type of surgery, an operation carried out with the help of a remote-controlled surgical robot. This is the most technologically advanced type of telehealth service. It combines elements of surgery, telecommunications, computer science, and robotics.
Telemedicine for the benefit of all
Tele-consultation is a quick way to contact a doctor. The first time customers have to call the helpline, then just log in to the site. The person who will book the e-consultation receives an SMS informing about the details of the consultation. It has the date and time, first and last name of the doctor, the chosen form of contact, i.e. phone, chat, video chat – says Beata Rosiak, Director of Health Insurance Office INTER Polska. – Depending on the patient’s needs, this e-consultation lasts up to 15 minutes. Also, within 24 hours of completing the e-consultation, it is possible to leave a free question for the doctor in the form of a text – the expert adds.
There are many benefits to using digitization in healthcare. Telemedicine is primarily to increase the availability of healthcare services. – Examples of e-consultations remove territorial barriers. Our clients from all over Poland can count on an interview with a specialist from another part of the country. This is a huge advantage – says Beata Rosiak, emphasizing that telehealth is not only a fashion but also a symbol of development.
The use of telemedicine also improves the work of doctors. The report reads: “Doctor’s equipment, in good quality, data from measuring devices, pre-processed by expert IT systems and professional service of Monitoring Centers, allows for a quick and accurate diagnosis. Telemedicine solutions allowing for teleconsultation or teleconsultation give a sense of security associated with the possibility of using the knowledge of specialists in other fields with virtually no need for time-consuming direct contact. Modern solutions allow each specialist to express an opinion based on available data in a convenient place and time.