In the time of the coronavirus, the topic of telemedicine became even more important. A large part of us has already dealt with teleportation, e-prescription or e-referral. By definition, this is the remote provision of medical services by a healthcare professional. This field exists in the areas of diagnosis, diagnosis and treatment. We should also associate it with modern applications, such as AFDetect, which monitors the heart and detects atrial fibrillation, or StethoMe – an intelligent stethoscope for parents of children and not only, which, thanks to the installed algorithms, has a working self-diagnosis system.
Telemedicine increases access to medical services.
The great advantage is the speed of intervention in the event of deterioration of the health of the person using the technology. Saving patients’ time compared to traditional visits. Possibility to monitor many patients at once. Reducing the number of issued paper documents and reducing the cost of services provided. Extending prescriptions without the need to show up at a medical facility. Greater access to specialists and many other perks.
How does telemedicine really work in Poland?
The Internet Patient Account (IKP) is a free online application that allows you to easily, quickly and safely check information about your and your loved ones health. It can be used by anyone with a trusted profile that allows you to confirm your identity. The service is free.
According to the telemedicine center, thanks to IKP:
- you will receive an e-prescription by SMS or e-mail – all you need to do is provide your phone number or e-mail address,
- you can buy prescription drugs in various pharmacies without losing the refund,
- you provide a loved one or a doctor with information about the health condition and history of prescribed medications, you have access to the medical data of your children up to the age of 18,
- you will collect another e-prescription without visiting the office (in the case of a chronic disease and after consultation, e.g. by phone, with a doctor)
You have in one place:
- your medical records – for example, e-prescriptions and e-referrals, and soon your test results or hospital discharge
Information about telemedicine:
- the amount of the reimbursement of: purchased drugs and other medical products, benefits used under the National Health Fund – for example, surgery or tests,
- the prescribed dose of drugs,
planned benefits reimbursed by the National Health Fund, such as a visit to your specialist doctor or - the planned date of rehabilitation.
Soon, IKP will also be able to check your declarations of choosing a doctor, nurse or midwife of the public health service (POZ).
An e-prescription is a digital version of an existing paper prescription. It facilitates the process of filling prescriptions, reduces errors, optimizes time on the part of doctors and pharmacists and eliminates the problem of illegible and false prescriptions.
The last issue raised is e-referral, which is a digital version of the existing paper referral. Like the e-prescription, it shortens the time of the referral process, and also reduces errors and eliminates the problem of illegible referrals.
Telemedicine is the future. There are many fantastic designs that will be featured in the following articles.
You can try an online medical consultation without leaving your home!
