Telemedicine is a considerable driver for convenient care access and quality. Many hospitals have adopted e-health services to manage the rising demand during the pandemic to slow down the spread and transmission of the disease. One such measure taken by Bangalore based health care facility is discussed in the current study. It provides a holistic approach for understanding the challenges faced by the health care providers and patients in utilizing the Tele platform.
In March 2020, an Artificial Intelligence portal was launched to carry out Teleconsultation across all the clinics of the facility. Starting with 20 consultations, it has expanded to an average of 89 consultations in a day within 44 days of its initiation in various disciplines from Internal medicine, Psychiatry, Cardiac medicine to even E.N.T. and Ophthalmology. Unlike other modes, Telemedicine relies heavily on reports of patient satisfaction. They are the only source to give an insight into its effectiveness. The observations made during the implementation and the telephonic interviews with the patients helped in understanding the roadblocks in providing adequate care. On analyzing the satisfaction rate, it was seen to be improved by 9% post standardization of protocols. On interviewing 261 patients, 89% of the population agreed that they were satisfied with the services. The technical ledges and the preference for video calls were the main reasons for dissatisfaction among the patients. The entire population agreed that Telemedicine had helped them in seeking health care during the lockdown. 89% of the people did not need an in-person visit with the doctor post teleconsultation. The Telemedicine was effective in providing health care in the times of crisis, and an unnecessary visit to the hospital can be avoided by adopting Telemedicine into existing health care infrastructure.
