Is anyone showing symptoms such as cough, fever, breathing difficulty, and overall discomfort? All this while, these symptoms were conveniently connected to influenza disease. But it’s not so hereafter. Here comes the Wuhan based novel causative organism named coronavirus (2019-nCoV) – officially called COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. Coronaviruses are a large zoonotic CoV family of deadly viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to severe diseases like pneumonia, flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and kidney failure. It can spread from animals to humans and between humans. Less risky patients may face milder upper respiratory symptoms. But in high-risk patients, the infection may progress to lower respiratory disease that may lead to death. This COVID-19 illness has infected more than 75,000 globally, with a death rate exceeding 2,100. The outbreak has led to 210,000 hospitalizations and killed around 12,000 Americans so far in the U.S. as of mid-February. One hundred ninety-five people were quarantined in California mandatorily by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 50 years. Hence in just a few short weeks, it was declared a global health emergency since the death rate has been faster than that for SARS and swine flu. Even the infection rate has also increased rapidly. It is no wonder that there is an utmost emergency in its detection and containment because, in a few cases, there are barely any symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some time back, the Ebola virus faced the same rage globally that COVID-19 is facing today. There have been others, and there will be others.
Do you have symptoms such as coughing, fever, breathing difficulties, or overall discomfort? These symptoms have been assumed to be connected to influenza. However, they may be connected to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), otherwise known as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. Coronaviruses are part of a large zoonotic CoV family of viruses that can cause conditions including the common cold, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), or kidney failure. The disease originated from animals and was transmitted and can spread among human beings. Patients at lower risk may face milder upper respiratory symptoms. In high-risk patients, the infection may progress to lower respiratory disease that may lead to death. COVID-19 has infected more than 181,500 and killed over 7,100. The outbreak has led to around 210,000 hospitalizations and killed approximately 12,000 Americans so far in the U.S. as of mid-February. One hundred ninety-five people were quarantined in California mandatorily by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 50 years. Since the outbreak began, the death rate has been higher than for SARS and the swine flu, leading COVID-19 to be declared a global health emergency.
Though there is no vaccine or cure for coronavirus to date, healthcare has a technological weapon – Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) - that can help physicians quickly diagnose, provide virtual care, and prevent the infection from spreading among the population.
Collecting information about the severity of any sudden quick-spreading disease often takes time. By the time doctors can begin prescribing preventive measures, the disease continues to transmit more quickly. An effective care should promptly be delivered to patients with proper coordination amongst patients, providers, and government authorities.
RPM and Telemedicine can significantly simplify and speed up this process. These breakthrough technologies can help patients receive timely medical attention by combining real-time clinical data exchange and online consultations. Telemedicine has great potential for improving disease control, epidemiological investigation, and clinical case management.
How does Hifinite address the coronavirus outbreak?
Though providers cannot confirm coronavirus diagnosis via RPM and Telemedicine, they act as the ideal first line of defense to limit coronavirus spread. Patients with milder symptoms can be monitored in their homes' comfort using telemedicine technologies (web browsers, smartphones, and tablets), even under the physician shortage's current scenario. Patients with coronavirus can minimize travel time via telemedicine, be exposed to new infections, and avoid ED visits and hospitalization.
Here’s a closer look at the major features of Telemedicine solutions and their benefits:
1. EHR technology can help estimate the risk levels by quickly identifying potential signs of trouble among the patients.
2. Remote Patient Monitoring tools
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RPM can help fight coronavirus by enabling providers to monitor their patient’s vitals such as temperature, blood pressure, etc. continuously for symptoms of the viral outbreak and react faster to prevent transmission.
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Providers can monitor not only those who have already acquired the infection but also others who may have been exposed to signs of the disease.
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The continuous flow of vitals data helps virologists understand the effects of coronavirus to quickly ascertain the threat level and enforce appropriate measures as a result.
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Patients can be encouraged to perform a self-check-in case if they begin to exhibit known symptoms.
3. Virtual consultation via engagement tools (secure email, phone, chat, text, in-app messaging, and video chats) are possible anywhere anytime with the specialists’ team in distant areas without being in physical proximity. It can be helpful in quarantined regions by reducing the risk of exposure to respiratory secretions.
4. Patient education tools help relieve patient fears over the coronavirus by answering their questions and providing timely information. Similarly, the experienced specialists’ team can guide coronavirus management to all providers from different localities via videoconferencing.
RPM and Telemedicine can add actual value to your care delivery by making it more consumer-centric. If the patients are showing the symptoms of coronavirus, it should be taken seriously.
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Access Hifinite’s hiCare Connect, the Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Solution, continuously monitors the patient’s vitals and assesses their condition.
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Access Hifinite’s hiCare Consult, the Telemedicine Solution for a virtual consultation.
Together, both patients and providers can contain this outbreak and proactively alleviate its effect. Taking advantage of RPM and Telemedicine can be the first step towards avoiding threats effectively while preventing infection transmission.
So, don’t wait for the next public health crisis to overwhelm your care ability.
Act immediately!
Opt for hiCare Connect and hiCare Consult Solution
References:
https://medcitynews.com/2020/02/one-way-to-limit-spread-of-coronavirus-remote-diagnosis/?rf=1
https://www.nsmedicaldevices.com/news/75797/
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.20.20025957v1.full.pdf
https://www.shebaonline.org/preparation-for-coronavirus-with-telemedicine/
https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2020/02/5-ways-healthcare-tech-helping-tackle-coronavirus
https://www.digigone.com/the-coronavirus-in-africa-preventing-a-widespread-outbreak
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212764X15000308
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/