The buzz about telemedicine

Health care in the country has become an important concern, especially with an ageing baby boomer population and longer life spans. A welcome development has been the ease and convenience of telemedicine and telehealth services – something that ideally should be more accessible for everyone no matter the income level.

In 2020, the Department of Health (DOH), the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the University of the Philippines Manila promoted the use of telemedicine to strengthen the health system and issued telemedicine practice guidelines for patients and health care providers. Telemedicine in the Philippines includes medical consultation via phone call, chat, short messaging service or SMS, or audio or video-conferencing, among others. It’s similar to going to a clinic or hospital for an appointment, only we talk to a health care professional using a computer or mobile device. Through this kind of medical care, anyone can consult a doctor in the convenience of their own home, avoiding travel, waiting rooms and the risk of getting infected by other patients.

Telemedicine services have proven to be essential, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when it became extremely challenging to visit clinics or hospitals during lockdowns and restrictions. Telemedicine solved this issue by making it incredibly easy to get online medical advice at any time or place. And it still remains relevant after the pandemic. For many individuals, including stay-at-home parents, busy working professionals, the elderly, immunocompromised individuals and those living in remote areas, this kind of medical care continues to be a practical and accessible choice.

In an email interview with one of the telemedicine providers available in the Philippines, Doctor Anywhere (DA), general manager Jerome Sebastian explains that common health issues such as coughs, colds, skin problems or digestive issues can be easily treated with telemedicine. Telemedicine also aids in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma, and includes online sessions with mental health experts.

Since its launch in Singapore in 2017, DA has grown to become one of Southeast Asia’s top tech-led health care companies. It now operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Doctor Anywhere launched in the Philippines in 2021, offering video consultations with general practitioners, specialists and mental health experts. General practitioners are available 24/7 on-demand even during holidays, with a wait time of five minutes or less, while specialists and mental health experts’ consultations are by appointment. DA also allows you to buy medications through its mobile app with home delivery services.

“DA Philippines follows strict telemedicine guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH), the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the University of the Philippines Manila. We also implement best practices from the Ministry of Health Singapore,” explains Sebastian. “These guidelines ensure high standards for the safety of both health care providers and patients.”

A major and an understandable concern for telemedicine providers is secure storage solutions for digital medical records, such as prescriptions, lab results, referrals and medical certificates. The Doctor Anywhere app, for instance, follows the Data Privacy Act and guidelines issued by the DOH to ensure patient data safety. “Guaranteeing the safety and privacy of patient data is important,” assures Jerome Sebastian. “We have strict measures in place to protect patient information using advanced end-to-end encryption techniques.”

He is happy to report that more companies have started to include telemedicine in their employee health and wellness programs. Doctor Anywhere partners with top health maintenance organizations (HMO) and health and life insurance companies like Maxicare, Etiqa, COCOLIFE Healthcare, Generali, Fortune Life and Insular Health Care (iCare) to provide fully covered video consultations for their members.

Aside from partnerships with HMOs and insurance companies, some telemedicine providers sell individual annual health plan subscriptions. Doctor Anywhere, for instance, offers affordable annual health plan subscriptions that include unlimited doctor consultations via video call, and even life insurance. This is helpful for freelancers, those who are self-employed and small business owners who might not have access to usual employee health insurance.

There is no denying the many benefits of telemedicine. Enhancing accessibility and improving the quality of care are just some benefits of adding telemedicine into the health care system. It should be remembered though that health care should not be a privilege limited to a few, but should be a human right for everyone, no matter their station in life. It is the use of technology like telemedicine that can achieve this objective to make it more accessible to the greater population, to empower every Filipino to take better care of their health.

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