Telemedicine: New Technologies as Labor Trends

Telemedicine is one of the modalities that will mark labor trends in the health field. In the following lines, the reader will be able to learn what its benefits are, its branches and its current context.
Many years have passed since Hippocrates and his followers developed a more scientific and professional practice of medicine. The most impressive thing is that despite the age of knowledge on curative, clinical and preventive practices, new knowledge and tools always emerge that define new work trends, such as telemedicine.

In its report “Future Trends in Medicine and Training of Health Professionals”, the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) mentions some of the knowledge that medical professionals should have. Nanotechnology, genomics and robotics are some of the new technologies that will define labor trends in the health field.

According to research carried out by the newspaper El Comercio, the development of technology will be a great help for medicine. The use of microrobots, 3D printers and the creation of technology that can be integrated into human anatomy can help better define patients' medical histories and examine them.

At the Big Data & Analytics Summit 2018, Manuel Alejandro Sánchez, co-founder and CMO of Sanatia SAPI, spoke about the use of dark data (unstructured data) in medicine. The expert mentioned that there are offices that measure patients' biometric information while they are in consultation, to have more detailed information about their condition. This is a clear example of the new technologies that will set job trends in medicine.

TELEMEDICINE, THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF MEDICAL PRACTICE

Another of the new technologies that will mark labor trends in the medical field is telemedicine. This concept can be defined as the provision of health services through information technologies, with the aim of reducing the distance between patient and doctor. Through this new technology, everything from consultation to support can be provided, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In fact, the specialized publication Revista CES Medicina explains that telemedicine has different branches. Teleconsultation, telemonitoring and telesurgery are some of them to which teleeducation is added. The latter can be implemented through tools such as Instagram and Facebook Live, YouTube, podcast, among other channels, according to data from Medical Summary.

TELEMEDICINE, THE NEW MEDICINE FOR THE NEW NORMALITY

Although telemedicine has been positioned in recent years, over the last year it has gained ground by leaps and bounds. According to Grupo PTM, the pandemic has boosted its growth. The overload of hospital systems added to the bureaucracy in care has led to new ways of providing medical services to people.

Given the need to maintain a healthy distance, telemedicine appears to be a suitable option to care for patients safely. However, this model not only safeguards these people, but also the medical staff themselves.

Another aspect that has made telemedicine gain ground is that it adjusts to the new normal that is experienced throughout the world. This modality allows the patient to attend the doctor, without having to miss a day of work. It also fits the home office, which was implemented by billions of people in the world.

But the advantages of telemedicine are not exclusive to patients. Gustavo Menéndez, Managing Director and Business Transformation for Cisco Latin America explains that by using tools such as high-definition and interactive video, it is possible to make medicine more accessible, in addition to having a significant impact on costs and efficiency.

From a medical perspective, telemedicine represents great support in emergency services. According to Grupo PTM, paramedics can connect in real time and through high-definition video with specialists to provide better care at critical moments. This, without a doubt, helps save lives.

To understand the relevance that telemedicine will have in the very near future, according to Mordor Intelligence, the e-health market will be worth 65 billion dollars this year. Its growth will cause more and more clinics and hospitals to seek to hire insourcing personnel who have knowledge of this new modality.

Alberto Hauser, CEO and founder of Medicato, mentioned for InformaBTL Magazine that telemedicine does not seek to replace the conventional office. Its purpose in the first instance is to function as a first line of contact with the patient.

Although medical practice has remained in constant and unstoppable evolution for thousands of years, its purpose remains the same. Medical personnel must save lives. To achieve this in the most efficient way, you must be increasingly immersed in new technologies, to use them to your advantage.

References

Anonymous, 2020 Trends in Telehealth, Grupo PTM, January 18, 2021.
Barrios, Yesenia, “Online medical consultations and App, what's coming in 2020”, in Summary Health, on Web, January 18, 2021.
Cardier, Marisena, Raquel Manrique, et al., “Telemedicine. Current state and future perspectives in audiology and otology”, in Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes, Vol. 6, No. 6., CEIT and TECNUN, University of Navarra, San Sebastián (Spain), 2016, pp. 840-847.
Cedeño, Samantha, Future Trends in Medicine and Training of Health Professionals, UNAM, Mexico, on Web, 2019.
Cortés, Guillermo, “This app wants to change the way we provide medical guidance”, in InformaBTL Magazine, Kätedra Communication Group, on the Web, January 18, 2021.
Menéndez, Gustavo, “Telemedicine, a growing trend”, in Logicalis, on Web, January 18, 2021.
Ruíz Ibáñez, Carlos, Ángela Zuluaga de Cadena, et al., “Telemedicine: Introduction, application and development principles”, in CES Medicina Magazine, CES Colombia University, Medellín, 2007, pp. 77-93.