What do you do if your patient advocacy efforts could benefit from telehealth and virtual care technologies?

To embrace change, you need first Digital Health Literacy and the basic tools for implementation of digital health services. If you don't have this, the rest is only a good willing.

Le sujet est utile, mais pas sous l’angle de la modernité. Il est question de choix, ou plut?t de situation dans laquelle nous n’avons pas d’autres choix que la téléconsultation. Si l’on vous dit qu’il faut attendre trois semaines pour un rdv médical, ou quelques heures pour un premier diagnostique médical d’orientation ou de conseil, ou encore de réassurance, quel choix feriez-vous ? Ce n’est pas non plus une question d’impatience, attendre plusieurs jours pour renouveler une ordonnance - qui n’exige pas d’examen clinique - ou pour calmer les douleurs d’une simple colique, ou toute autre pathologie aigu? bénigne, convient à l’exercice de la télémédecine exercée par un médecin inscrit à l’ordre, comme tout autre médecin en cabinet.

As the founder of Diabetes TeleCare and a passionate patient advocate, I've seen firsthand the transformative power of telehealth in diabetes management. Telehealth allows me to connect with patients virtually, providing ongoing support and monitoring without the burden of frequent in-person visits. Educating patients about these virtual tools empowers them to take charge of their health. We can discuss glucose readings, medication adjustments, and lifestyle changes remotely, ensuring timely interventions and improved health outcomes. Let's bridge the gap with telehealth and empower the diabetic community!

An overlooked element of Telemedicine's success hinges on user-friendly interfaces. A simple, intuitive UI boosts patient advocacy by making services accessible to all, especially the less tech-savvy. According to BJ Fogg's Behavior Model, for a behavior (like using telemedicine) to occur, three elements must converge: motivation, ability, and a prompt. Platforms that have focused on clear, straightforward designs with limited options have seen higher user satisfaction. This approach prevents users from feeling overwhelmed and ensures that even those with minimal digital skills can navigate the system effectively.

The propose of Telehealth must be beyond triaging urgencies. Education and consulting have been overlooked, also monitoring maybe because of lack of good implementation. In Tele dentistry, still could give so many answers, even if you don't have the X rays, to at least give proper orientation advice or second opinion. The problem is that it has to be added in the budget of public and private health insurance, so the patient can benefit of the service.

I would add one more step: educate yourself on how to navigate the challenges. One of the main risks that may arise from the use telehealth services is linked to the protection of personal data. Health data, which is a special category of personal data under the GDPR and UK GDPR and sensible information under the CCPA and other laws, is shared and processed in these circumstamces, therefore it is essential that the relevant measures are in place. For example, you may need to carry out a Data Protection Impact assessment if AI is involved and enter into Data Processing Agreements with any provider used. Where data about children is also processed, additional guarantees are required.