Pawel Cebula, co-founder of Medigo.com discusses how greater access to information, technological advancements and app developments are empowering patients to play a greater role when it comes to their healthcare choices
In recent years technology has transformed the way we shop, work and socialise.
Transforming the medicinal landscape in new and unprecedented ways, online health portals and digital apps are making patients increasingly more informed and empowered
For many people the internet is the first port of call for news and information, and, unsurprisingly, technological innovation is now changing the way people access healthcare. Transforming the medicinal landscape in new and unprecedented ways, online health portals and digital apps are making patients increasingly more informed and empowered.
With people able to access healthcare information at the click of a mouse, the balance of power in the patient-doctor relationship is shifting, with modern medicine becoming more a partnership between doctor and patient than ever before.
Trusted sites such as NHS Choices or Netdoctor enable patients to check symptoms or ratify diagnoses online and are widely used by patients across the UK. The NHS Choices website, for example, regularly has over 10,000,000 visitors per week , enabling patients to have greater choice over their healthcare from the comfort of their home.
One example of this increased choice is in hospital referrals. Previously patients needing specialist treatment were reliant primarily on their GP to make the referral, with limited choice and information as to where they were being referred. Patients needing specialist hospital treatment do, however, have a legal right to choose from any hospital offering a suitable treatment that meets NHS standards and costs, and services such as the NHS e-Referral Service help patients and GPs to work together to find the most-appropriate choice.
With platforms such as NHS Choices and Medigo.com helping to make information on clinics and treatments available in a transparent way, the power is shifting from provider to patient as patients are enabled to make their personal choice based on the information available.
The real beauty of digital technology, telemedicine and medicinal apps is that, collectively, they are increasing patient choice and empowerment
Of course, greater information does not diminish the importance of GPs. However, NHS's telephone and online services have dramatically reduced the burden on GPs for common ailments, since the majority of web inquiries are completed within the service and don't require any further attention or in-person visits.
This availability of information and technological advances can be particularly beneficial to patients living in isolated communities and remote regions. Telemedicine, the provision of remote access to a doctor via phone or videoconference to address a health care issue, means that patients can receive care from doctors or specialists far away without the patient having to travel to visit them and can deliver quality outcomes comparable to face-to-face appointments.
According to research from BMJ Innovations, there are currently over 90,000 mobile health apps available. By 2017, an estimated 3.4 billion people worldwide will own a smartphone, half of whom will be using a mobile health app. Thanks to this technology, patients can ‘see’ a doctor immediately and, in some cases, even have the doctor prescribe medication, no matter the location.
This helps to make healthcare more convenient, less expensive, and more preventative. And the technology is also benefiting doctors themselves. According to figures from the BMJ, almost eight out of 10 of the doctors (78%) and just over a third of nurses (35%) have downloaded a medical app to their device, with almost 90% of the doctors and two thirds of nurses saying they used these apps as part of their clinical work.
Medigo.com’s own platform is being used to link doctors and patients across the globe, offering patients open access to healthcare worldwide. It’s the world’s largest free-to-use platform that connects patients and doctors globally, allowing patients to compare prices of medical treatment and book a medical procedure online.
The vision is to empower consumers to find the most-appropriate care for their needs, regardless of geography, much in the same way that Booking.com or Airbnb has transformed the way that people book their holiday travel.
With patient volumes consistently growing quarter over quarter, medical travel is becoming a real option for patients seeking greater choice when it comes to healthcare, and is greatly facilitated by online technology.
While there is still of course great need and demand for qualified health professionals that cannot be denied, in many cases technology is bridging the gap between patient and doctor to facilitate access and provision of care
The real beauty of digital technology, telemedicine and medicinal apps is that, collectively, they are increasing patient choice and empowerment. This enables patients to take a more-active role in their own healthcare, creating a more-competitive marketplace for health and wellness services that can lead in many cases to better results and lower costs.
While there is still of course great need and demand for qualified health professionals that cannot be denied, in many cases technology is bridging the gap between patient and doctor to facilitate access and provision of care for both parties.
