During the COVID-19 crisis, connectivity played a significant role in the management of health-related problems and issues. The technology was vital in planning, testing, and contact tracing. Telemedicine consultations were utilized in minimizing lines at hospitals and continuing the healthcare of patients regardless of their location. Moreover, it had quite an impact on remote healthcare and surveillance.
Even with the production and implementation of the vaccinations against COVID-19, telemedicine and digital tools for health care continue to be utilized by hospitals across the country. It will continue to be a part of the next normal and the new future of healthcare.
Last May 28, 2020, the government released a Department Memorandum No. 2020 – 0268 which provided interim guidelines on health facilities in the new normal. The memorandum emphasized the need for health care institutions to “adopt an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system that would allow the sharing of information such as patient records across health facilities.”
It also highlighted the need to use telemedicine to “reduce contact and limit patients in the facility.” Telemedicine would not only be used to provide consultation and care, but also provide appropriate tele-pharmacy or medication counseling strategies as needed.
“Movements were limited during the lockdown and clinics or outpatient departments were temporarily closed, so the only way to speak to patients was through telemedicine,” shared Dr. Ferdinand Cercenia, General Surgeon at Capitol Medical Center, in an interview with Philippine News Agency.
Telehealth continues to be utilized by healthcare providers despite some hospitals being open for face-to-face consultations. However, healthcare practitioners still stress the need to utilize digital tools when a visit to the hospital is not considered essential.
“Face-to-face consultations will resume, but maybe those who are not inoculated with the vaccine may opt to use telemedicine, especially vulnerable members of society,” added Dr. Cercenia.
Telemedicine has provided individuals in far-flung areas of the country access to healthcare. Philippine hospitals are at a disproportion of hospital-to-patient ratio, which is currently at 13.5 hospital beds per 10,000 population. Other than the disparity between bed-to-patient ratio, the doctor-to-patient ratio in the country is at 1:33,000. This ratio is significantly higher than the global average of 1 doctor for every 6,600 patients. Now, with the help of telemedicine, health seekers no longer need to commute all the way to a hospital that is unlikely to have a bed ready for their use. Instead, health seekers or patients can simply connect and communicate with their primary healthcare provider via SMS, call, or email.
Digital tools for healthcare have helped maintain the safety and health of both patients and physicians by minimizing or even eliminating patient queue lines outside a doctor’s office.
“As we are now living with the new normal, the use of digital technology and digital transformation has become important for Filipinos in coping with the present crisis, moving towards economic recovery, and getting us back on track towards our long-term aspirations,” shared Rosemarie G. Edillion, NEDA Undersecretary, in a forum entitled “A Better Normal Under COVID-19: Digitalizing the Philippine Economy” by the World Bank.
Technology and digital tools empower the healthcare industry to improve the delivery of care, drive better patient outcomes and patient experience. For digital tools that are ready to be deployed and used by healthcare industries, Globe myBusiness is well-equipped to deliver. Some of the digital tools that are helpful for internal communications and for the use of health seekers include the following.
For employee collaboration and communication, one platform is enough to get things done and that is through Google Workspace. It’s a flexible solution that fits any type of business. Google Workspace not only provides a custom email for your business but includes access to powerful tools for collaboration such as Gmail, Google Meet, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and more. Google Tools in Workspace provide a number of vital uses in the healthcare system, such as with the following:
In a contactless environment, cashless is the way to go, which is what GCash for Business can provide. With GCash, you get access to a range of services similar to what a bank can offer—save for the stressful process associated with opening payroll accounts. These services include salary disbursement, online bill payments, a real-time deposit of petty cash advance and allowances, and instant incentives for employee engagement. For businesses who still opt for bank payroll accounts, GCash for business can serve as a back-up for salary disbursement, should there be a bank downtime.
With everyone connected to the web, your establishment must also be able to provide enterprise-grade connectivity to make it easy for guests, patients, hospital staff, and doctors to access information as needed—anytime, anywhere. Globe myBusiness Direct Internet offers a dedicated and reliable internet connection that is backed by Service Level Commitments. Direct Internet ensures that there are no delays in your internet connectivity and that it can keep up with your organization’s bandwidth needs. As for Managed WiFi, you can control where the Internet can be accessed and allocate a set bandwidth to ensure maximum employee productivity.
These tools and solutions from Globe myBusiness help ensure that your establishment provides better medical care and offers safe, risk-free connections with your patients, doctors, and staff.
Learn more about tools and solutions to help your medical practice navigate the new normal by talking to a Globe myBusiness representative. Sign up now with this link.
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