Guillermo Gran Benavente Hospital has been part of the Tele Health Program of the Concepción Health Service since 2012. This year, following the pandemic, they have managed to follow up on patients through various electronic and digital channels, in addition to the teleconsultation specialties of teledermatology and telenephrology, previously established.
The substitute director of Care Management of Concepción's health services, Dr. Alejandro Torche, was questioned by local media of Concepción on the importance of telemedicine in Chile during the pandemic, and the evolution and development of Digital Health and Telehealth in recent years especially that region.
"He was truly very sharp, and comes to stay. It does not meet all the needs of the population, but it does come to a specific group, to solve connectivity problems, problems of approach," he explained of the progress made during the COVID-19 pandemic in these types of services that provide remote care.
Dr. Torche mentioned that he cannot set aside the pandemic, as the situation promoted the use of telemedicine services among the population, and stressed that the situation caused some barriers between doctors and patients to break down in the use of these services and technologies.
Among the benefits he highlighted that patients can more easily have specialized health care services, and more closeness to their doctors and specialists. In addition, he said it was important for patients and the general population to see telemedicine as complementary care or service to traditional medicine and regular medical appointments, not as a replacement.
