Digital health-care app aims to make health-care accessible to everyone any time, anywhere
THOUGH it may sound sci-fi-ish or futuristic, telemedicine has been around for quite some time already, long before a certain virus emanated from a certain area called Wuhan in China and changed our world and the way we do things forever. It has proven its effectivity and efficiency way before this pandemic. It has taken center stage in a way doctors in the “new normal” aim to deliver health-care services they never imagined would be possible, until now. And whether we like it or not, the pandemic somewhat hastened awareness and acceptance of it.
Digital health services made people see a different side to medical consultation. Suddenly, it gave people access to medical services even faster. Patients don’t have to dress up and travel far for a doctor’s appointment. There’s also no need to take a leave from work and spend precious vacation leave credits just for a visit to the doctor.
These are still debatable since there still are medical services where consultation should be done in person. But the promise of changing the landscape of delivering healthcare services is there.
The value of digital services in the future
WILL patient-doctor consultation go back to the traditional face-to-face visits just like before? Lorraine Anne Macapagal, Head of Operations at mwell, a telemedicine service provider recognized by the Department of Health (DOH) and the country’s first fully integrated health app, said digital health services have been around in Southeast Asia even before the pandemic. What the pandemic did, Macapagal said, was it merely spurred exponential growth and demand, and hastened the digital adaptation of users when it comes to health services. “Post-pandemic, we foresee that online health services will continue to stay as an option to get [for patients] and provide [for health-care professionals] health-care access,” she explained.
Macapagal said both the private and public sector will also play a significant role in ensuring that online health-care services will be here to stay. Likewise, the local government units are beginning to realize that they can help more through online consultations, where services such as mental health consults to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWS) have become easier through online health-care platforms. “So yes, online health-care services will be here to stay to complement faceto-face visits post pandemic. When it comes to health-care, mwell is breaking boundaries through technology, responding to the needs of Filipinos, wherever they may be.”
One other important issue facing digital health-care services is on data privacy and securing patients’ personal information, which explains why many patients continue to insist on the sanctity of the four corners of a doctor’s clinic since information that goes in there, stays there. Macapagal said they have employed top-notch standards in technology and most especially cybersecurity features in order for them to deliver only the best and most secured health-care platform for Filipinos in the most convenient way possible.
To ensure protection against cyber threats, mwell is supported by sophisticated technologies and highly skilled cybersecurity professionals. Angel Redoble, PLDT Group and Smart Communications FVP and Group Chief Information Officer says mwell’s cybersecurity practice is based on the Predictive, Preventive, Detective and Responsive cybersecurity operations framework of the PLDT Group that’s designed to identify and respond to threats efficiently and effectively. “The mWell systems go through rigorous testings to ensure a sustainable approach in maintaining the highest level of security to protect our systems, network and customers data.”
Choosing the right partners in health-care services delivery
MACAPAGAL also emphasized that choosing the right partners is vital in making sure that delivery of digital health-care service offerings a success. She said their partners are the ones who fulfill the services that they provide online so it’s important that their partners should be able to provide the best and most reliable service for patients and users. “They must share a common mission with us in providing health-care access to more Filipinos nationwide—and to provide the best health-care solutions that Filipinos deserve,” she stressed.
That is why mwell created powerhouse partnerships in its drive for innovation anchored on good health and well-being, such as those mwell inked recently with Healthlink, Lifeline 16-911, and Medexpress, Macapagal explained. The aim, she said, is to raise the bar in digital health apps to deliver a healthy ecosystem of digital health-care services that offer a holistic approach, from doctor consultation, e-pharmacy, emergency services and home care, to fitness and nutrition programs created by experts.
With Healthlink, she said mwell users can now avail of expert care for loved ones at home such as basic care support, cardiac care, elderly care, and post stroke care. For Medexpress, users may have their medicines delivered immediately after their online consultation, and with Lifeline 16-911, access to emergency quick response service is also made easier where it’s just a tap away on the mwell app.
Helping the elderly embrace the future of health care
ONE of the more vulnerable sectors in society when it comes to health-care are the elderly. At the height of the pandemic, one of the greatest concerns is how to bring them to a hospital without contracting Covid-19.
At this juncture, Macapagal pointed out that it is the elderly who are most in need of online health-care access because of their limitations when it comes to commuting and traveling in order to get to a doctor or purchase medicines. She believes in the importance of creating an awareness campaign targeted to elderly Filipinos and their children or grandchildren about the available health-care services that they can tap for their needs. “On our end, we ensure that our app interface and journey are user-friendly for our elderly kababayan Filipinos.”
For his part, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) President, Chairman and CEO, Manny Pangilinan says, “Metro Pacific Group’s mWell shall continue to set the standards in digital health care by bringing together experts in technology, medicine, wellness, and health care in one sustainable living ecosystem.”
On the other hand, MPIC Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer Chaye Cabal- Revilla said their mission is to bring health care closer to more Filipinos and make health and wellness available and accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. “We aim to mWellize the Philippines with good health and wellness. With help from our valued partners, we can truly democratize health care.”