Telemedicine gets healthy feedback from local patients

Jamaicans have been warming up to the idea of seeing their doctors online.

Marketed as cheaper, more convenient and the way forward, even the elderly are welcoming of the increased interest raised in telemedicine.

Telemedicine is simply diagnosing and treating of patients, using telecommunications technology remotely. Last year, when Dr Che Bowen, founder, president and CEO of MDLink, launched the online medical platform, only about five doctors had registered. The numbers have grown since then, a testament to Jamaicans acceptance of the technology.

“People are using the service. We have about 25 persons registering per day and, from those 25 persons, about 10-12 persons use the platform every day. We have patients from as far as St Thomas and St Elizabeth. We currently have 100 doctors in Jamaica and 25 in Barbados, and three in The Bahamas,” Bowen said.

“We have general practitioners, gynaecologists, dermatologists, mental health psychiatrists. We even have physiotherapists and neurologists.”

How all this works is you simply download the app or go online and register to consult with a doctor.

Bowen said all the conditions treated have been proven to be safely managed without a physical examination.

“You get to choose if you want to speak to the doctor via text message, phone call or video chat, and you have your 15-minute consultation that you pay for with the doctor of your choice, and you would have also selected the pharmacy of your choice where your prescription would be delivered to,” Bowen explained.

“Right now, the platform in itself treats conditions that are low risk, which are common conditions such as ear infection, flu, the cold, rash, allergy. It’s especially great for dermatologists, because you can just send a picture of your skin and they can diagnose it and you can skip the waiting room and its more affordable; it’s between $1,500 and $1,800 to use the platform.”

Bowen’s website states that more than 90 per cent of patients say they are satisfied with the convenience and efficiency of telemedicine, and would use it again.

MALPRACTICE INSURANCE

“You can choose the same doctor if you happen to go on again, and also if the doctor decides that this condition cannot be managed over the platform, you can be asked to come in to the doctor’s office, and the patient does have access to their medical records so they can share what was said on the platform.

“We do have malpractice insurance, and it covers telemedicine visits, so it’s not something new. It’s something that’s practised worldwide and the conditions that we treat are definitely ones that are treatable and manageable via our telemedicine services, so it’s definitely something that is growing in Jamaica especially,” said Bowen.

Bowen added that there are a lot of persons who are busy and have no intention of wasting time in traffic. These persons can benefit greatly from the service.

“It is the first of its kind in Jamaica and the region, First-World countries are already ahead of the game. They have already started launching telehealth devices so that a patient could be home and they could use their portable ultrasound and it connects to the platform, so that the doctor can see what the ultrasound is saying on the other end, so that’s how far it has reached in the First World. Telestroke is a big thing in the First World, so basically when you are in the ambulance with a stroke, you are able to see a doctor via video in the ambulance and begin treatment for that stroke right away, which provides you with a quicker recovery,” said Bowen.

... Halsall : Efficiency needed in healthcare delivery

*Thelma, who is in her 60s, says though she has become accustomed to seeing a doctor face to face all her life, she was not against her granddaughter getting her prescription for her using the MDLink app.

“Me no miss the traffic and the waiting at all. That me can live without. Me say me live fi see things like this weh me never coulda ever imagine before. Bups, me get through. Me might can’t use it myself, but me like it. It good to me,” she said.

*Ralph, an elderly man who has not used the system, said he, however, was willing to try it or have someone do it for him, as the way it is described sounds easy and is something that is appealing to him.

MDLink is not yet covered by medical insurance health plans. Sick notes and lab tests are also facilitated by the platform.

Having laid the foundation and still working to improve the quality of healthcare through telemedicine in Jamaica, chairman and CEO of Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS), Douglas Halsall, said some of the challenges that were presented when telemedicine initially entered the market have been addressed.

“With telemedicine, we want it to be a complete thing that improves healthcare delivery so you have to think of all the logistical points. How is it paid for? How does the person get a prescription in a remote area, how do we treat with drug interaction? How do you treat with the patient record history, and how do you treat with insurance if the person has insurance? These are some of the considerations that we have introduced,” said Halsall.

Halsall added that efficiency is something that is needed in healthcare delivery and, noting concerns that doctors might lose money, he said they in fact stand to benefit tremendously.

“It is going to be more money for the doctors as they can use their time more efficiently. At night, doctors can still attend to patients if they so desire. We are already in the process of signing up with two insurance companies for their mobile clinics. These mobile clinics will have telemedicine. In fact, some of these guys are considering employing doctors for this particular service. Patients will also benefit because telemedicine will make it cheaper for them to consult with a doctor,” said Halsall.

*Names changed

carlene.davis@gleanerjm.com