The original objective of Telemedicine as established by the National Department of Health was to
deliver healthcare services at a distance to South African communities in under-served areas;
to alleviate the human resource crisis as experienced
to improve the links and communication between developed healthcare facilities and the underdeveloped rural areas.
On 26 March 2020, the HPCSA issued their first letter to practitioners after the National State of Disaster was announced by the government following the rise in the number of reported Covid-19 cases in South Africa.
The two main measures implemented by the government to limit the spread of the disease are:
1. social distancing to prevent infection and
2. self-isolation by those who have been infected.
Medical practitioners provide essential services to the community and as such the HPCSA urged practitioners to continue providing medical services with reasonable skill and competency while also keeping the safety of their patients and themselves in mind. In order to ensure the safety of patients, Telehealth was introduced as a means to assist with social distancing without compromising on good healthcare services. Telehealth should only be used if it is found to be in the best interest of the patient.
The HPCSA has changed the name of this concept from Telemedicine to Telehealth. Telehealth is defined as a remote consultation between a practitioner and patient via telephone or virtual platform.
The HPCSA also expanded the application scope to include patients who do not have an existing practitioner-patient relationship.
Benefits of Telehealth:
There is less chance of catching new illnesses by keeping social distancing from other patients
It increases the efficiency of the practice to assist a broader base of patients
Patients with limited mobility have better access to healthcare, e.g. frail patients
The whole consultation process is quicker for patients who e.g. don’t have to travel
It is cost-effective, seeing that patients have the ability to engage in Telehealth rather than go to an emergency room for no good reason.
Allows multiple members of a team to interact and collaborate in patient care, e.g. specialists.