When considering the benefits of informatics in public health emergencies, it is important to mention telemedicine services. With the introduction of digital technologies, teleworking has become more common in business and industry. Telemedicine, which enables healthcare professionals to operate remotely, employs telecommunications technology to leverage medical information, such as video and healthcare information technology. It refers to a broad range of non-clinical services, including telemedicine and telemedicine treatment (Macha & McDonough, 2012). A lot of work was done online during the SARS outbreak to stop people from moving around and spreading the disease, and telemedicine started to prove beneficial (Macha & McDonough, 2012). However, telemedicine was only able to offer a basic online or telephone consultation at the time due to the network’s quality and technical capability.
Being exposed to a number of telehealth services, such as online consultations and diagnosis, made me measure how crucial it is to fully utilize these technologies in the prevention and control of public health emergencies. Had such services not been available, countering the pandemic would have become extremely difficult, and there would be many more deaths and victims. However, patients are able to get medical care from the convenience of their homes by utilizing online diagnosis and treatment, online consultations, and home health and isolation services, including chronic drug delivery, all of which will lower the chance of contracting the virus.
Telemedicine has advanced quickly, relying on the recent rapid growth of telecommunications technologies. The usage of remote expert consultation and distance medical education scenarios is currently very common. The issue of uneven medical resource development between areas can be resolved by telemedicine. Experts in rural and resource-limited places can set up remote consultations over the Internet. The telemedicine critical care device for critically sick patients transfers physiological data and medical parameters to the monitoring center through the telecommunications network, allowing for real-time detection and additional analysis (Dixon et al., 2021). The systems can guarantee the sharing of medical data with participating hospitals as well as the interoperability of automated medical data. By using physiological data sent from far-off locations, telemedicine helps doctors deliver prompt medical services and reduces the gap between them and their patients.
Telehealth technology can help and support medical professionals in conducting remote consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic so that physicians from various locations can get together to talk about the diagnosis and care of patients. An observational evaluation will be used to determine the history of symptoms and exposure risk, and doctors can determine whether a patient has an infection or needs additional testing based on this information (Ye, 2020). Additionally, telemedicine has been used to assist individuals with suspected COVID-19 symptoms and offer online medical care for persistent illnesses.
There are benefits to using online diagnostic and treatment platforms or online hospitals. They can distribute medications, re-diagnose some common and chronic diseases online, and lessen the chance of cross-contamination while seeing patients in person. Links to services from recognized and authorized Internet hospitals and websites for online diagnosis and treatment should be gathered using open, standardized platforms (Ye, 2020). The organization of healthcare institutions at all levels to offer online required consultations, home health care, and recommendations would boost the market for online medical services, assist patients in seeking medical treatment, and lessen the burden on traditional clinics.
References
Dixon, B. E., Grannis, S. J., McAndrews, C., Broyles, A. A., Mikels-Carrasco, W., Wiensch, A.,… & Embi, P. J. (2021). Leveraging data visualization and a statewide health information exchange to support COVID-19 surveillance and response: application of public health informatics. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(7), 1363-1373.
Macha, K., & McDonough, J. (Eds.). (2012). Epidemiology for Advanced Nursing Practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Ye, J. (2020). The role of health technology and informatics in a global public health emergency: practices and implications from the COVID-19 pandemic. JMIR Medical Informatics, 8(7), 166-198.