The importance of Telemedicine during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Many countries around the world are turning to Telemedicine during the coronavirus outbreak, as people want to seek healthcare but also want to protect themselves from the risk of infection — It is important to understand that the same applies to Doctors.
Why?
Bangladesh, like many other countries affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic, is now taking measures such as week-long lock-down to “flatten the curve”. At times like this when it is highly important to stay at home to prevent the disease from spreading, telemedicine can be your go-to platform to get information and consultations for your health. A lot of people may need to consult doctors on a regular basis for pre-existing, chronic illnesses or regarding annual health check-ups. In such cases, telemedicine or virtual consultation is a great way for you to communicate with medical personnel from the safety and comfort of your homes.
Meanwhile, what it also does is allow medical attention and resources in hospitals to be focused on combating Coronavirus cases. Moreover, if you think you might be exhibiting symptoms for COVID-19, it is much safer to consult with a telemedicine tool like a symptom checker or by getting a virtual consultation. Remember, directly arriving at a hospital might put you at greater risk of contracting an infection.
A few things to follow when using telemedicine services are:
- make sure you note your symptoms down before the call
- be concise in reporting your issues
- answer all questions with utmost transparency
Unless it’s an emergency, by using virtual consultations and telemedicine you too can do your part to apply ‘social distancing’, or in this case ‘medical distancing’.
Some of the trending telemedicine platforms used around the world are:
- Teladoc
- GoTelecare
- Intelehealth
- Chiron Health
- Doxy.me
- ChARMhealth
If you’re interested in using a free telemedicine platform for your COVID-19 concerns, you can use the COVID-19 Response Bot Bangladesh by clicking the link below:
m.me/CovidBotBD
Reference:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-telehealth-help-flatten-the-curve-of-covid-19-2020032419288
https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/the-best-10-free-and-open-source-telemedicine-software
This article was written by
Labiba Mustabina Oishee, Business and Clinical Development Analyst, Renata ltd.
For any queries, email: labiba.wish@gmail.com
