Conducting a SWOT analysis on building a new oncological telemedicine service, the author noted two particularly significant aspects. First, telemedicine opens up new opportunities for the treatment of rural residents. Rural health workers will have the opportunity to get advice from more experienced doctors at the regional center right at the workplace, hold teleconferences, and exchange experiences. In turn, rural residents can get advice in a shorter time than in the traditional format. Moreover, the possibilities of telemedicine allow residents to remotely receive not only medical advice, but also an electronic prescription for medicines. According to Shirke et al. (2020), the economic efficiency of innovative medical technologies lies in the achievement of medical and social indicators at significantly lower costs than it would be if the same data were obtained by traditional methods without telemedicine technologies.
However, without the proper equipment of a rural medical institution, the development of this area is impossible. Therefore, high-speed Internet and modern computer technology are becoming the most critical components for doctors in the countryside. It is essential that their presence and availability for work be under the control of responsible persons, which is a threat to the implementation of the project. Moreover, telemedicine services are not accessible to patients who are illiterate or do not have access to technology, which is also a threat to the project.
Secondly, the author comprehensively analyzed the financial aspect of the project. However, it is worth noting that the author missed an important point. Platanias (2021) argues that telemedicine opens up the possibility of treating more patients than the traditional format. Thus, it brings additional finance to the medical institution. Moreover, according to Bertucci et al. (2019), home telemedicine programs reduce care costs. Accounting for this factor can also increase the profitability of the project. It should be noted that any identified financial benefit should also be weighed against the effectiveness of the procedure, including patients’ quality of life.
References
Bertucci, F., Le Corroller-Soriano, A. G., Monneur-Miramon, A., Moulin, J.F., Fluzin, S., Maraninchi, D., Gonçalves, A. (2019). Outpatient cancer care delivery in the context of e-oncology: A French perspective on “Cancer outside the hospital walls”. Cancers, 11(2), 219. Web.
Platanias, L. C. (2021). Advances in oncology. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Shirke, M. M., Shaikh, S. A., & Harky, A. (2020). Implications of telemedicine in oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acta Bio Medica: Atenei Parmensis, 91(3), e2020022. Web.