Technological development in recent years and the impact of the pandemic in recent months have had has greatly accelerated the digitization of the medical sector. There are more and more options to provide ongoing monitoring of patients, especially for chronic diseases, and it is also possible to provide remote healthcare to patients with Covid-19.
The digitalization of healthcare is synonymous with accessibility. While more consultations or routine check-ups can be transferred virtually, health centers and professionals can be more efficient, thus guaranteeing assistance in more urgent visits.
This could be clearly seen in March, when the closure of the houses began. The health recommendations insisted that you should not go to health centers – already saturated – unless it was an emergency, although in these months you should continue to provide medical care for other pathologies, so Telemedicine has become the main way to monitor and control other diseases.
This situation has allowed to demonstrate the benefits of digitalization of medicine. Systems such as use port and mobile devices can help control disease and medical assistance through video calls or telephone consultations is very useful in simpler cases to take care of patients safely.
In the context in which we find ourselves, it is also worth mentioning use of these devices in patients with Covid-19. The Sanitas insurer provided this support to 95 people during the state of alarm, allowing them to be monitored by port during treatment at home. The data collected by the devices were subsequently evaluated by a medical team, attentive to the patient’s situation at any time. That way, they could detects pain alerts in 80% of patients and alerts for 12% oxygen saturation. Having these data in real time allowed the medical team to act on the spot there is no need for patients to travel or require hospitalization any time.
Sanitas used the use port for the follow-up of its patients since 2016, therefore, when the closure came, both specialists and patients were accustomed to these services, and the company was able to assume the normal increase in the use of its digital platforms. For example, between March and July, over 230,000 video consultations.
Chronic disease monitoring
The progress of telemedicine has also facilitated the control and treatment of other diseases, such as hypertension or overweight. It’s about chronic pathologies that require exhaustive monitoring of vital markers to act quickly if there are irregularities and prevent risks.
In case of hypertensionfor example, using a Bluetooth-connected sphygmomanometer, blood pressure data, which are then evaluated by a specialist and thus the patient receives recommendations and information for the control of their disease. In addition, the medical team is alerted to any alarming data.
Medical devices are also used port for control overweight, monitoring the weight, physical activity and quality of life of patients in general. A study by Sanitas found that in a total of 79 patients, there was an average reduction of 1.7 kg over a 12-month period. The conclusions drawn by the company’s experts are that the use of this type of systems favors a increased patient awareness and involvement, which is more involved in their treatment and, consequently, obtains the best results.
The process of digitizing healthcare in which most countries are already immersed sheds light on the new opportunities offered by telemedicine. The main benefits of this system are constant monitoring of patients, fewer trips and greater comfort, as they can receive medical care from home. That’s why in Sanitas they wanted to offer continuity to the digitization strategy started betting on BluaU in 2016, a platform developed specifically for disease monitoring, prevention and treatment from your smartphone. In this way, the offer of digital health services increases, which allowed the company to guarantee a personalized attention adapted to the needs of each of its patients.