Letter: Telemedicine II – Two out of three would be better
Irish Medical Times website on November 25, 2020 told us that the practice of telemedicine in Irish healthcare has multiplied by a factor of five since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The rushed uplift in virtual consultations in the Irish healthcare sector has worked for doctors and for patients. Recent research, commissioned by the Medical Council and conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes, found that patients reported that virtual clinical consultations were convenient, reduced their exposure to others (Covid contact), and gave them access to a doctor when they needed it.
This move to telemedicine is a great leap forward, and the mother of necessity, given the risks of face-to-face consultation for patients and frontline healthcare staff at this time. All good so.