WILL TELECONSULTATION BE THE NEXT BIG THING IN HEALTHCARE?
This year, National Doctor’s Day comes at a very crucial juncture, with the fear of contracting Covid-19 having seeped into our lives. And for doctors, the situation isn’t very different, either.
Extended working hours, hospitals teeming with patients, the risk of getting infected and barely any ‘me time’ — these are just a few things doctors face every day. The pandemic has also come with its own set of challenges for medical practitioners, who feel their field may undergo a rejig in the way it functions.
But one cannot let fear take over, asserts Delhi-based senior orthopedic consultant Dr Aashish Chaudhry. “I urge people to have more faith than fear in their ability to control the virus,” he says, adding that hereafter, healthcare institutions will have to innovate. “Digital health is going to take a big leap. Healthcare at home is the new big thing. Gone are the days when patients will visit hospital,” he says.
Echoing similar thoughts, medical director of a Delhi hospital, Dr HS Chhabra, says, “Teleconsultation has seen a great surge, and this is likely to stay. In rural areas, tele-consultancy can help in primary healthcare and triage, subject to better network connectivity.”
However, such interaction might have its drawbacks, notes Capital-based Dr Gauri Agarwal. “Guarded by PPEs, the interaction is likely to become more impersonal and physically distant. This can emerge as a challenge in detecting and treating diseases,” she says.
Dr Arjun Dang, the CEO of a renowned city-based private lab which is conducting drive-through Covid-19 testing, also outlines compassion and care as basic tenets of treatment. He adds, “One thing that has always been the cornerstone of good healthcare is the trust and empathy between doctors and their patients.”