07 Feb 2020

What is telemedicine and 4 reasons why you should use it

This article was produced in partnership with HiDoc

What is Telemedicine?

If you have not been aware of telemedicine until now, you might be unsure if it is something you should start trying.

Have you ever had to wait for hours on end for an appointment at a hospital? What about calling the medical clinic only to be told that the earliest available appointment for your unwell child is days away?

These situations are uncalled for when the need for medical advice is urgent. And they can be avoided with telemedicine.

Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients through the use of telecommunications technology, meaning that you do not necessarily have to be at a clinic to receive medical advice.

It is increasingly becoming an option for families and patients themselves when you require immediate real-time two-way communication with healthcare providers.

What Telemedicine can be used for

For some of us when we face sudden events, such as getting a deep cut on our hand or suffering a bad case of diarrhoea, we tend to turn to our immediate source of information: the Internet.

But a recent article in The Straits Times, “Take precaution before consulting ‘Dr Google’, spoke about how self-diagnosis can backfire. The danger of self-diagnosis is that certain health information may be misleading, and you could be making your ailments worse. As some search results are sponsored, you might also be treating yourself with methods that are not effective at all.

While Google acts as a quick source of information, so does telemedicine. The crucial difference is rather than facing the risk of misdiagnosing yourself, you can hear from medical specialists to receive a reliable professional diagnosis.

Here are 4 reasons why you should use telemedicine that medtech apps, such as HiDoc, can provide:

Concierge Services

This includes setting up or changing appointments, and getting support with your medical claims. Long working hours has become an expected reality for Singaporeans. So, options that provide us with greater convenience come in handy and telemedicine gives you just that. Even if you are overseas, you are still able to make enquiries on the mobile app.
Home Health Care for the Elderly

Many of us are responsible for the well-being of our loved ones and especially when they require help in moving around. For Budget 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat shared that according to the Ministry of Health (MOH), it is estimated that one in two healthy Singaporeans aged 65 could become severely disabled in their lifetime and may demand long-term care. With this in mind, telemedicine can reduce the need for them to travel and yet deliver equally useful medical advice.
Gynaecology and Obstetrics Advice

For individuals who may not feel comfortable visiting a doctor’s office for reproductive and sexual health care matters, you can consider using telemedicine to get in touch with the right specialists for advice in private.
Urgent Health Care for the Little Ones

For parents with young children, we know how easy it is for them to fall sick. We worry we may potentially expose them to more viruses when we bring them to the clinic. We imagine they may pick up the lurking germs and fall ill again in that crowded waiting space.

With telemedicine, it decreases the chances of catching something else and your child may recuperate better and more effectively when separated. Acute medical conditions such as the common cold, stomach aches and sinus infections can be easily addressed through a teleconsultation.

Taking care of yourself and loved ones

Now that you know the uses of telemedicine, there are several mobile apps out there that offer such services. Ultimately, it will be particularly beneficial for you and your loved ones to have one additional channel to turn to when a need to consult a specialist arises.

What’s more, for medtech apps like HiDoc, you can enjoy ease of payment with your DBS PayLah! at the end of the consultation, giving you less hassle on your journey to recovery.

Watch how patient care can be delivered through telemedicine: