Since before the start of the pandemic, the UC CHRISTUS Virtual Medical Center had a pilot telemedicine program.
The telemedicine network of the Catholic University of Chile (UC) seeks to bring medical services closer to patients who are not in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. Their pilot program started even before the COVID-19 outbreak, so they were prepared to provide services remotely during isolation measures.
Dr. Sebastián Valderrama, director of the UC Virtual Medical Center, explained in an interview with Emol that the telemedicine services offered by the Center seek to reduce patient travel, especially at times of high peaks of the pandemic and the infections of COVID-19 and its variants. "It is a tremendous benefit, not being exposed to new infections, saving time and resources in mobilization, in addition to being able to access timely medical care," he explained.
Also, despite the benefits of telemedicine, Dr. Valderrama recognizes that it is a complementary service that facilitates access to health services for patients. In this sense, the UC Network seeks to promote a hybrid care model, which includes remote and face-to-face care if required.
This UC initiative has not only general practitioners, but also specialist doctors, and laboratories for taking samples in various parts of the country. The goal is to achieve better diagnoses and bring medical care closer to more people, especially those who live in rural areas.
“I am convinced that this is here to stay, and from the governing entities there has been tremendous support. The fact of providing coverage for this type of attention is already an advance, I consider that as a country in a sense we have done quite well. 5G technology has also arrived to boost this work, all of this will end up benefiting patients”, concluded Dr. Valderrama.
