Prof. Piotr H. Skarżyński took part in a Medexpress debate on health technologies and the challenges facing modern patient care. The discussion addressed, among other issues, how coronavirus accelerated innovative e-medicine solutions.
The pandemic convinced everyone that electronic prescriptions are an excellent solution: they replace paper prescribing and allow medication to be prescribed online during telephone or video consultations. The Professor noted that remote consultations give patients in distant parts of Poland and abroad, including Ukraine and Central Asia, access to specialists.
‘There are two aspects to such consultations. The first is assessing a patient, for example after surgery, or preparing them for an operation. The second is diagnosing children. Remote consultations avoid infection risks and the need to travel with them. Rehabilitation is another issue. Many parents have become interested in remote rehabilitation supported by monitoring from specialists at central centres. Instead of travelling with a child to a medical facility for therapy, sessions can take place at home. Interest is now considerably greater than before the pandemic,’ he explained.
Prof. Piotr H. Skarżyński, also an expert for WHO and the International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth, mentioned discussions within the World Health Organization on the need for supportive regulations enabling rapid telemedicine development. ‘Less state involvement and sensible oversight,’ he summarised.
