To the pediatrician without leaving home. What do parents need to know about telemedicine?

In a pandemic, we understood how many things can be done at a distance - learn, celebrate holidays, walk in museums and even attend a doctor.

Telemedicinsky consultations appeared during the pandemic period as a necessity, but in the end turned out to be a convenient and effective way to interact patients and doctors. Now the possibilities of remote medicine are expanding, new technologies and medical gadgets appear (we do not wait for it when you can treat your teeth at a distance!). Experts of the European Medical Center (EMC) are told about the perspectives of the direction.

Remote consultations helped patients of all ages during a pandemic

The very idea of ​​telemedicine is not Nova. For example, in the 1960-1970s, medical consultations on the telephone were distributed in the USSR. Modern technologies allow not only to listen to the patient, but also to hold a practically full full-time inspection.

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Remote consultations used to consider more as support. The patient came to a full-time reception, and then, if necessary, clarified something at the doctor. Or, let's say, before a visit could describe the symptoms, send some results of the surveys. But the pandemic and quarantine literally locked us in homes, many have lost the opportunity to visit their ordinary clinic or hospital - the reception was only on COVID. And the help was needed, and remote medicine showed that its possibilities are great, and significance too.

Medical Director EMC Evgeny Avetisov

Telemedicine services have one serious limitation: the doctor has no right to diagnose and appoint the therapy. But it can collect anamnesis, adjust treatment, monitor the patient's condition, write a recipe. With the help of telemedicine technologies, doctors can interact with each other: Consider consultations, including emergency.

Today, telemedicine counseling can be obtained from doctors of almost all specialties, including children. During a pandemic for many, it turned out to be the only option to apply for help to "its" specialist.

Since November 2020, remote consultations have been resolved by order of the Ministry of Health to monitor patients with ARVI, Flu and COVID-19.

With the help of gadgets, you can remotely inspect and monitor health

Telemedicine services are not some kind of a separate type of medical care, but one of the forms of interaction. The development of telemedicine is inseparable from the development of technologies. A good example is the TYTocare device, as if coming from the movies about the future. With it, children and adults can:

• examine ears, throat, skin cover,
• Measure the temperature and frequency of heart abbreviations,
• Listen to bronchi and lungs with special replacement nozzles.

All manipulations perform the patient, and the doctor on its operating monitor sees the instrument readings and manages the patient's actions. So you can spend almost a complete inspection and decide whether it is necessary to eventually go to the hospital or you can make an appointment planning.

There are also highly specialized gadgets - for example, an electronic Stethoscope Laeneco with an application for a telephone listening to the lungs. The application can be installed on several mobile phones for each of the family members. The technology is widespread in European countries, Canada, USA, Israel, and now there are in Russia.

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Many parents, especially young, are ready at the first signs of mawing a child to carry him to the clinic. Often this is not necessary. Gadgets like Tytocare can be considered a breakthrough with a complete reason. A pediatrician can easily "explore" the baby and, without breaking the parents from the place, decide whether there is a reason for anxiety. The quality of the survey is practically not inferior to full-time.

Head of the Pediatric Department of the Children's Clinic EMC Anastasia Goltzman

Modern technologies allow not only to make a decision in an emergency, but also to control the state of health. Visits the popularity of "Smart Textiles" - T-shirts with sensors, which:

• Remove the testimony of cardiac rhythm,
• Measure the frequency of breathing,
• body temperature,
• Level of physical activity.

The data enroll in the doctor's application and are stored there, so the person's condition can be tracked in dynamics. If a specialist is alert, he will invite the patient to the clinic.

At the junction of telemedicine and emergency response services, the "Alarm Button" technology is located, developed mainly for the elderly. If a person has become bad, he can press the alarm button (for example, on a pendant or keychain), and the emergency response service will arrive. In anticipation of the brigade, the patient can speak with the operator.

Another promising direction of telemedicine is monitoring the health of future mothers. Experts predict that in the near future, remote ultrasound of the fetus and KTG will cease to be something exotic.

Telemedicine does not reduce the level of responsibility of the doctor or the quality of communication

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The doctor always carries the same responsibility: whether he communicates in person, or providing telemedicine services. Our main goal is the health of the patient, so it is important how much the patient correctly understood the recommendation. The success of consultation depends on this. If a specialist sees that without a full-time presence, he will definitely organize him. And if the situation is extra, then the relevant assistance will be provided.

Head of the Pediatric Department of the Children's Clinic EMC Anastasia Goltzman

According to the telemedicine law, it is not licensed as a separate service and can only be carried out on those directions to which the clinic already has a license. This is what to clarify in the clinic where you want to get a remote advice:

• there is a specialist certificate;
• Can the therapeutic institution work at the specified direction;
• What channel communication will occur and the transfer of personal data is safe.

The Ministry of Health of Russia expects that by 2024, the remote monitoring of patients in Russia will increase four times. And according to VEB Ventures (the subsidiary of the VEB RF), the average annual growth rate in the next five years will be about 116%. Of course, remote interaction will never replace the full-time communication of the doctor and the patient. But in many cases will help make it more operational, and sometimes save lives.

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