DAY 16: COVID-19 and the future of medicine

DAY 16: COVID-19 and the future of medicine

Dear colleagues, 

A glimmer of hope seems to be on the horizon.  Yesterday, in Madrid, we had 11 new admissions to our hospitals and no deaths. For 3 consecutive days the rate of admissions has been under the 20 – 30 that we were seeing last week.  We currently have a total of 446 Covid19 patients in our hospitals, with 63 of those in intensive care.  This glimmer of hope seems to be concentrated in Madrid for the moment, since, as I told you yesterday, the pressure is still being felt in other regions, such as Catalonia. 

The coronavirus is radically changing the way medical services are being provided. Before the virus, there were different opinions and trends regarding how digitalization might affect our industry in the future. There were people in favour of a classic healthcare model with the doctor always present, whilst other people argued that digital tools would quickly begin to offer new ways to deliver healthcare. 

I believe you don’t need to wait for the future. In this strange period that the COVID19 virus has imposed on us, we have already seen the urgent need for doctors to be accessible via digital channels, such as by video consultation. In this time of crisis, we have seen demand for video consultations in Sanitas go up tenfold. The same doctor you might have seen in person before the crisis, people now consult by videotechnology.  Before the pandemic, demand was for about 300 video consultations a day, while now that demand has risen to 3,000. It is true that, over the past few years, we have made a significant effort to promote this choice of patient-doctor contact.    This has led us to establish a digital platform with 2,500 doctors from 30 medical specialities which means that, as a result, we are now well placed to handle this increase in volume of activity. 

At a time when hospitals are dedicated almost entirely to treating COVID19, it is essential that we offer patients the possibility to contact their doctor (and I mean “their” doctor not “a” doctor) by other means.  As I said yesterday, life goes on and we must continue to attend to it. After COVID19, our patients will almost surely tell us that they want to continue having access to these advantages and we will be there to deliver. 

Another example of the positive impact of digital tools in the world of healthcare has been seen in our care homes. As you know, we have suspended family visits to care homes, which logically increases the anxiety of families wishing to know how their loved ones are doing.  However, 3 years ago we launched an App to enable families to receive personalised information on how their relative is and to speak to his/her carers. This App has always had a good acceptance rate, with around 50% of families using it before the epidemic broke out.  Over the course of the crisis, its use has gone up to 75%, with some families recently discovering this App and telling tell us that they could now no longer live without it. 

There are many changes ahead. Our sector is even more exciting than ever before because with each passing day it is more and more important be relevant in how we deliver healthcare.  We love a challenge in Sanitas, which means we are getting ready not only to beat Covid19, but also to continue being a healthcare partner to many people in Spain. We love a challenge, and we love the work we do.  

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  Let’s keep up the good work! 

#Proud #ApplauseforourHealthcareProfessionals 

#ApplauseForourITTeams #TogetherWeWillBeatCovid19


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