Why Telehealth Matters Now More Than Ever

Why telehealth matters now more than ever

By Jason Inocencio

It comes as no surprise that, in the light of the global health crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought, several industries have found themselves scrambling for ways to stay alive. Practically nothing could have prepared the world for the debilitating effects the pandemic caused globally. Aside from lives lost, the world experienced an unprecedented overall economic shutdown, as national governments tried to keep the coronavirus from spreading.

Tourism, hospitality, and many small businesses came to a halt. The pandemic’s effects are expected to last far beyond 2021, even when the world moves to the “next normal.” Amidst these shutdowns, there have been some industries able to adapt to the challenge brought before them.

With people forced indoors, a surge in demand for food delivery services became prominent. Since dining in ceased to be an option for several months, consumers turned to food delivery services to treat themselves during the days of physical distancing.[1] During the second and third quarters of 2020, the top four US food delivery apps saw their revenue rise by a collective $3 billion.[2]

Perhaps more significant, however, has been the rise of telehealth in addressing concerns that inevitably rose with people’s growing concern with face-to-face consultations with their physicians. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), a McKinsey & Co. report estimated that physicians saw between 50 and 175 times more patients via telehealth than they did prior to the pandemic.[3]

Telehealth, in broad terms, entails provider-to-provider transmission of health history to a specialist to request a clinical opinion or provider-to-patient transmission of patient information including emailing or texting patients as follow-up. Teleheath today plays a key role in preserving a productive human capital, in light of concerns (or, for some, outright fears) of visiting hospitals and clinics due to COVID-19.

But which one do you choose? One must consider several things when choosing among different telehealth providers. The question of who do you trust with your health? And, who do you trust with the health of your loved ones? are clearly the most important questions to ask. Taking a pragmatic approach to assessing telehealth services to answer these questions should include: (1) what hospitals or medical societies the service is affiliated with, (2) the number of doctors who are available for consultation, (3) the ease with which the respective apps/services can be used, and (4) the prices of teleconsulting that fits your budget.

Although telehealth in its current form is relatively new, several platforms have emerged to service the Philippine consumer who is taking baby steps into telehealth.

iDoc

From Healthcare United Global Solutions (HUGS) is iDoc. It offers compliance with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), pharmaceutical benefits, medical utilization monitoring, and sick leave management. Through the iDoc Telehealth System, there are cloud-based Electronic Health Records (EHR), mobile app-based Personal Health Records (PHR), health analytics, as well as e-prescriptions, and e-referrals.[4]

The mission of iDoc is to “provide every Filipino the best quality of life by coordinating available cost-effective healthcare options targeted to every individual or group’s specific need” with the business tenets of compassion, science, and technology at their core.[5] There are three iDoc packages offered with price tiers of Php600, Php888, and Php1888, annually, with unlimited Non-Emergency Telehealth Consultations with their licensed doctors and medical professionals via phone, SMS, email, chat applications, and iDoc application, at the center of every price package.[6]

CareSpan

For its part, CareSpan promises integrated digital care for the world that is disruptive, transformative, and empowering. Although founded in the US, headquartered in New York City, and with a management team of mostly Americans, CareSpan has a version of its app for the Philippine market.[7] As far back as 2015, CareSpan became the first digital healthcare platform that was compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to incorporate high resolution video communications with a full array of vital signs, breathing/heart sounds, ECG rhythms, medical images and patient records in a workspace designed by physicians for effective and reimbursable care delivery.[8] CareSpan is still in its prototyping stage to date but something to look forward to in the market.

Kitika

Yet another entrant in the Philippine telehealth market is Kitika. Similar to the iDOC process, Kitika’s process of consultation with an accredited, licensed doctor uses a triage process with first-level nurses as respondents. A patient’s symptoms is validated by the nurse, then a treatment plan is provided or, the patient is referred to one of Kitika’s partner specialists or physicians.

That treatment plan and e-prescription will be sent to both the patient’s Kitika inbox and registered mail while medicine delivery service is also available should the patient request for it.[9] Unfortunately, at present, neither their website nor their Facebook page[10] presents clear numbers for both the family plans and individual plans that they supposedly offer.

SeeYouDoc

SeeYouDoc is another of the players in the industry, and already boasts of partnerships established with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), the Department of Health, MedChoice Pharma, Metro Antipolo Hospital and Medical Center, Inc., Marikina Valley Medical Center, Tau Mu Sigma Phi from the University of Santo Tomas, and Pivotal Peak.[11] SeeYouDoc’s app actually works for two separate entities: for patients and for doctors. Available on both the App Store and Google Play, SeeYouDoc for patients works similar to its competitors while SeeYouDoc for doctors (SeeYouDoc MD) gives doctors accredited by SeeYouDoc a platform to conduct their video calls, issue e-prescriptions, and manage their online appointments.

SeeYouDoc also offers a suite of solutions to address the needs of clinics, medical societies, and hospitals. SeeYouDoc MC is a multi-specialty clinic management platform that helps administrators efficiently manage their clinics, affiliated medical practitioners, appointments, schedules, and patients.[12] Recognizing the significance of medical societies and associations, SeeYouDoc MS offers the management of individual profiles of members, posting about events happening within an organization, while taking advantage of the bulk messaging feature. All those network necessities can be brought together under SeeYouDoc MS.[13] Finally, individual hospitals may streamline healthcare services while creating digital content, promoting medical services and facilities, and reaching more patients under SeeYouDoc MH.[14]

These are just a few examples of existing telehealth practitioners whose services are now online and accessible for the Philippine market. They may be in varying degrees of advancement and renown at the moment, but the fact that more entities are entering this industry, exploring partnerships, and establishing networks across the platforms are a testament to the increasing viability and necessity for telehealth even as the country continues to fight the pandemic.

Physical and social distancing has seemingly built walls between doctors and patients from meeting face-to-face, but thanks to technological innovations as well as a strong desire to keep people safe and healthy during these difficult times, telehealth is now at the forefront. As it continues to develop and evolve additional services, expect this industry to keep being relevant in the years to come.

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About the Writer:

Jason Inocencio is a freelance writer for leading advertising and marketing agencies in the Philippines and has contributed to investigative publications on various topics including healthcare in the country. His Komikon engagements reflect how he is a geek at heart with written works focused on his hobbies ranging from sports, comics, movies, to anime.