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Online Doctor Advice Accelerated diagnoses thanks to new telemedicine
Telemedicine will be an important part of health care in the future. Online consultations with the doctor can, among other things, help to make faster diagnoses and even save lives in an emergency. Even though the offers are currently still manageable, new projects are constantly being presented. Currently also one that should improve the medical care of children and adolescents.
Important component of health care in Germany
Although the field of telemedicine is still in its infancy in Germany, in the future it will be an important part of health care, according to experts. Especially in rural areas, telemedicine is becoming increasingly important as a measure against the shortage of doctors. In addition, the medical challenges of the aging society can be met much better with digital technologies. In case of emergency, life can depend on a timely and accurate diagnosis. However, experts criticize that telemedicine still lags far behind its potential in Germany. An eloquent example of this is the endless wrangling over the electronic health card. In a message from the news agency dpa is reported on a case from the child and adolescent medicine, which makes it clear that there would be more in it, without having to neglect the sensitive data protection.
Telemedicine of the future. Image: Gina Sanders - fotolia Online help wanted
In Bavaria, a boy with a thick reddish proliferation on the bridge of his nose was born in early 2015. Like Dr. Mani Rafii, board member of the Ersatzkasse Barmer GEK, explained that the doctors at the Maternity Hospital initially considered a harmless skin tumor. However, the pediatrician who later treated them wanted to play it safe. Therefore, he got online an assessment from an expert. As a result, the infant was found to be suffering from a rare tumor. "In the end he was successfully operated," Rafii said.
Improved medical care in the countryside
The Barmer GEK and the Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ) have recently announced in a press release a specially developed telemedicine system called "PädExpert" which aims to improve the treatment of adolescents with chronic and rare diseases. Pediatricians can consult with a pediatrician online to help with unclear diagnosis and treatment. "With PädExpert we optimize medical care, especially in the countryside. Thanks to PädExpert, our youngest insured persons will save themselves long journeys and waiting times for specialists ", Dr. Rafii.
Recognize rare diseases in good time
Benefits are not limited to patients in rural areas. Even in big cities, it can take several weeks to get an appointment with a specialist. With PädExpert a first estimate should be available within 24 hours. In an emergency, this will be helpful to the child insofar as it is not hampered unnecessarily by the rare or chronic disease, especially in a strong phase of growth and development. The chance of recognizing rare diseases or tumors in good time should therefore be much higher in the future. As it is called in the agency message, as a side effect, the irritant topic appointment service points for general practitioners could be somewhat rectified. These should accelerate the appointment of specialist appointments for cash-desk patients and help in the search for a specialist.
Fewer specialist appointments thanks to telemedicine
The president of the Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ), Thomas Fischbach, emphasized according to dpa that telemedicine should not replace the specialist. However, specialist visits may not be necessary in two out of three cases in the future. Of course, data protection must be guaranteed, said the Bavarian BVKJ chairman Martin Lang, who helped develop the program. It is said that an online consultation with a specialist colleague is only possible with the consent of the parents. According to the information, 80 percent of such a possibility would be very open.
Rafii underlined at the presentation of the project that the health insurance company did not have access to the data. In the press release, he called for an overall greater use of telemedicine applications and tied this to conditions. "Telemedicine must provide tangible added value to the patient, demonstrate it in a fundamental evaluation, and meet the highest data protection standards," said Rafii. The telemedicine system negotiated by the Barmer with pediatricians is funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Health. It will now first be tested in Bavaria and then be introduced throughout Germany in the middle of the year. (Ad)