The COVID-19 has accelerated the advances in the processes of digital transformation of the health sector, the advances that were expected in 3 years have happened in 3 months.
According to the third edition of Aegon’s Health and Lifestyle study, 7 out of 10 telemedicine users say it has been very useful to them.
Due to COVID-19, all sectors have been forced to accelerate their digitization and the healthcare sector could not be left behind. With health centers pouring most of their resources into containing the pandemic, the sector has been forced to look for alternatives to stop treating all other pathologies and has found in telemedicine its great ally.
Telemedicine is not a novelty, although it has experienced a very slow incorporation in the sector: the COVID-19 has focused on the need to bet on it and its implementation has been accelerated. The advances expected in 3 years have happened in 3 months.
“These advances offer the possibility of managing hospitals, health centers and patients more efficiently, as well as researching new diseases, such as COVID-19, in order to offer early detection and more specific care, minimizing damage. in the patient and contagions “, Stand out from ASHO, a leading company in hospital counseling and clinical coding in Spain.
the technology has played a key role in managing the health crisis. Virtual consultations, telephone, internet results or remote patient monitoring have become a reality and have all the numbers to stay once the crisis passes, as they have brought many benefits to the sector and have proven to be effective. , improving management, reducing lists and waiting times, avoiding unnecessary travel and debureaucratizing attention.
Nevertheless, experts warn that, although it is effective in many cases, telematic medicine is not valid for everything and claim to put order to this clinical practice, set boundaries and provide it with more resources for infrastructure and training of professionals in digital skills.
The use of telemedicine during the pandemic
In the third edition of Aegon Health and Lifestyle Study, Which focuses on the analysis of the health status, lifestyle, habits and behaviors related to the health of Spaniards, it can be seen that one in three respondents claim to have used telemedicine during the pandemic. Besides 7 out of 10 telemedicine users say it has been very useful to them. Telematic medicine has paved the way for leaving behind lengthy procedures that bother the patient and delay the doctor. It has been verified that many of the operations that were carried out were not necessary and that the use of complementary telematic means results in greater efficiency of the sector.
In fact, according to the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), GPs, during the pandemic, performed an average of 32 medical events through telemedicine and reduced to just a dozen the number of patients who were cared for in person. In this context, from ASHO evidence that “This process made it easier for patients who really needed face-to-face care to be cared for more quickly and with greater medical care, as other pathologies did not cease to exist in COVID-19 time.”.
Technological advances have been fundamental to the development and good management of the pandemic. In particular, telematic medicine has benefited the entire sector, patients, healthcare professionals and managers. It is a long process, with many challenges and challenges in which much remains to be done for the digital transformation to be fully implemented in the healthcare sector. Technological advances, together with the collaboration of society and the pandemic, have proven to be key to bringing to life the golden age of digital health.
As for ASHO
ASHO, as a leading company in health coding, currently manages more than 85 projects throughout Spain and codifies around 600,000 discharges per year. With a market share of 47%, the company specializes in offering value-added services in hospital information systems that facilitate the management and work of clinical professionals. Since its inception 26 years ago, it has coded more than 8 million highs, concentrating 2.5 million in the last five years.
