The use of information technology software and electronic communication to provide remote clinical services to patients, or what is called telemedicine, has rapidly increased since the novel coronavirus pandemic with curfew and social distancing restrictions.
And although the use of telemedicine at HIC has been there from the very founding of the institution in 2005, consulting cardiologists who spoke with the Jamaica Observer last week, say more of their patients, especially the elderly, are now opting for virtual consultations.
Telemedicine allows us to make the study available, like an echocardiogram or an ECG or stress test report, to a cardiologist in the US or Canada,” said Dr Tulloch-Reid, adding that patients have readily embraced the use of technology in receiving health care.
He also explained that while there will always be need for an initial physical consultation with patients, all follow-ups can be done remotely with the use of telemedicine technology as more advancement is made in that area.
“Only with new patients there would be the need for an initial physical examination but follow-up's are much better done remotely, and this will become more and more prevalent as the technology advances and as we progress beyond COVID-19,” said Dr Tulloch-Reid.
