At the inauguration of the Provincial Telehealth Day, the measure to facilitate access to specialists throughout the region was announced and efforts were made to advance remote care through the use of a digital platform.
The National Telehealth Coordinator in Argentina, Emiliano López, announced the National Telehealth Plan, which will serve as support for the strategy that has been proposed since January this year to implement new technologies to traditional health systems.
On July 18 and 19, a meeting was held in Mendoza where the priority was to coordinate actions for the development of Telehealth as a public policy in the province. The summit highlighted the presence of characters such as the Minister of Health, Social Development and Sports of the province, Elisabeth Crescitelli and the Undersecretary of Planning and Public Health Coverage of Mendoza, Ana María Nadal.
Within this framework, the different initiatives that will be carried out by various public institutions, such as clinics and hospitals, which will adopt the Telehealth system, were presented.
Thus, the user can access queries through the use of phones, computers or other mobile devices. You can also find health information or talk to doctors via streaming, videoconferences, email and / or text messages.
On the other hand, it’s planned that doctors and health experts can remotely monitor the condition of their patients with devices that can remotely record their vital signs, use of medications and other important information for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring.
The Telemedicine program started being applied in Mendoza in 2017 in three areas, only: dermatology, pediatrics and cardiology. With this announcement, the number of services provided is extended, benefiting a greater number of people.
The National Telehealth Plan aims to coordinate different tools through a digital information network to allow patients to enjoy higher quality services and greater immediacy, which at the same time have a lower cost. There have been several benefits that the Telehealth system offers, among which the following stand out:
- Portal for patients
- Virtual medical appointments
- Remote control
- Doctors who consult with other doctors
- Personal medical records
With the new National Telehealth Plan, these benefits can be extended through public institutions and hospitals to populations that live in remote regions or in the province. Government authorities are considering the National Plan as the central axis to move towards Universal Health Coverage throughout the country.