The technological development of recent years, and the impact of the pandemic in recent months, have greatly accelerated the digitization of the health sector. There are more and more options to provide ongoing patient follow-up, especially if it is a chronic illness, and it is also possible to provide remote medical care to patients with Covid-19.
The digitization of health care is synonymous with accessibility. While some more routine consultations or reviews may move to the virtual realm, health centers and professionals may be more efficient, thus ensuring attendance at more urgent visits.
This fact could be clearly seen in March, when home confinement began. The health recommendations insisted that one should not go to the health centers -already saturated- unless it was an emergency, although during these months medical care should continue to be given to other pathologies, so that telemedicine became the main route for monitoring and controlling other diseases.
This situation made it possible to demonstrate the benefits of the digitalization of medicine. Systems such as the use of portable and mobile devices can help control disease, and medical care through video calls or telephone consultations is very useful in simpler cases to care for patients safely.
In the context in which we find ourselves, it is also worth noting the use of these devices in patients with Covid-19. The insurer Sanitas has provided this support to 95 people during the state of alarm, allowing them to be monitored through portable while undergoing treatment from home. The data collected by the devices were subsequently evaluated by a medical team, attentive to the patient’s situation at all times. That way, they could detect pain alerts in 80% of patients and alerts for a 12% drop in oxygen saturation. Having this data in real time allowed the medical team to act on the spot without the need for patients to travel or require hospitalization at no time.
Sanitas used the use of portable for the follow-up of its patients since 2016, so when the confinement arrived, both specialists and patients were accustomed to these services and the company was able to normally assume the increase in the use of its digital platforms. Between March and July, for example, they were attended to more than 230,000 video consultations.
Monitoring of chronic diseases
The advancement of telemedicine has also facilitated the control and treatment of other diseases, such as hypertension or overweight. This is chronic pathologies that require thorough follow-up of vital markers to act quickly if there are any irregularities and prevent risks.
In the case of the hypertensionFor example, by using a bluetooth-connected sphygmomanometer they are collected data related to blood pressure, Which are then evaluated by a specialist and so the patient receives recommendations and information for the control of their disease. In addition, the medical team receives a warning against any alarming data.
Medical devices are also used portable for the control of overweight, Monitoring the weight, physical activity and overall quality of life of patients. A Sanitas study found that in a total of 79 patients, there was an average reduction of 1.7kg over a 12-month period. The conclusions drawn by the company’s experts is that the use of such systems favors one greater patient awareness and participation, Who gets more involved in their treatment and therefore gets it best results.
The process of digitization of health care in which most countries are already immersed sheds light on the new opportunities offered by telemedicine. Constant monitoring of patients, fewer trips and more comfort, as they can receive medical care from home, are the main benefits of this system. That’s why Sanitas wanted to give continuity to the digitization strategy started in 2016 betting on BluaU, a platform developed especially for the monitoring, prevention and treatment of diseases from your smartphone. In this way, it increases the offer of digital health services that have allowed the company to guarantee personalized care adapted to the needs of each of its patients.