Introduction:
Rheumatic diseases are autoimmune, inflammatory diseases that are disabling in nature and affect the day-to-day activities of the affected individual. In this condition, the body's immune system attacks the healthy cells and tissues of joints, muscles, bones, and other organs, causing inflammation. Individuals with rheumatic diseases experience tender, stiff joints, which make mobility difficult and painful. Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia (where an individual experiences extreme muscle and joint pain), and systemic lupus erythematosus (where a person experiences swelling on the skin, joints, and other internal organs) are some of the rheumatoid diseases that can benefit from telemedicine.
What Is Telemedicine?
Technology in the form of telecommunications is used to provide remote healthcare services, which gives the term telemedicine. This technology has transformed the way health care is delivered to individuals.
Telemedicine enables individuals to receive care from the comfort of their homes. Telemedicine has evolved over the years and has become an increasingly popular tool for rheumatologists (medical doctors specializing in diagnosing and treating rheumatoid diseases) to manage rheumatoid diseases. Telemedicine includes:
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Audio or video consultation between the individual and the doctor.
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Remote monitoring involves using devices to monitor vital signs or other health measures, such as blood pressure, glucose meters, and pulse oximeters.
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Mobile applications can be used to provide individuals with educational materials, track disease progression, or evaluate the effects of treatment.
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Health records, including test results, can be stored electronically, accessed anytime from anywhere, and easily forwarded to other doctors for opinions.
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Prescriptions of medicines are done through messages or emails.
What Are the Advantages of Telemedicine?
Telemedicine has various advantages, some of which are as follows:
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Avoid the need to travel to hospitals.
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Save time.
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Health service in the comfort of one's home. Rheumatologists may also benefit from this, as they may also consult individuals from home without needing a clinical set-up.
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Cost-effective with the choice to avoid travel and clinical set-up.
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Beneficial in the case of a shortage of physicians.
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Telemedicine is accessible from anywhere to anyone at any time.
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Reach out to other specialists from anywhere around the world at any time for second opinions or more information regarding a health condition.
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Health records stored electronically can be accessed by rheumatologists at any time to give or change a given treatment. Electronic record storage also avoids losing files compared to hospital files.
How Does Telemedicine Help in the Management of Rheumatoid Disease?
Some of the ways that telemedicine can help in the management of rheumatoid arthritis are as follows:
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From home, in one's comfortable environment, rheumatoid individuals can receive care and avoid travel, especially for rheumatoid individuals with chronic conditions who require ongoing care and monitoring.
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Rheumatologists can access patient data in real-time, monitor individuals more closely, and adjust treatment plans. This results in more personalized and effective care for individuals.
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Rheumatoid individuals with chronic conditions often require ongoing monitoring to ensure that the conditions are under control.
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With telemedicine, one can transmit important data, such as vital signs or recent test reports, to rheumatologists, reducing the need for frequent in-person visits and allowing rheumatologists to detect the progression of the disease or flares of the symptoms early.
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It allows rheumatologists to provide educational materials, such as videos and articles, to rheumatoid individuals and help them understand the disease condition. Sharing videos of exercises to ease joint pain and stiffness is also beneficial for rheumatoid individuals.
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Improves communication between rheumatologists and rheumatoid individuals. One can communicate with rheumatologists in real-time through video or messaging, reducing the need for phone calls or in-person visits. This improves satisfaction and makes it easier for individuals to ask questions or express concerns.
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Individuals tend to be less anxious and communicate more freely in the comfort of their homes compared to a hospital environment, which can assess the individual's psychological state more appropriately.
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Most importantly, telemedicine reduces the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, which is beneficial, especially during a pandemic (such as COVID-19) or a rise in cases of other infectious diseases.
What Are the Disadvantages of Telemedicine?
Every aspect has both positive and negative effects. Similarly, telemedicine has limitations, and some are as follows:
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Diagnosing certain diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, will require a thorough physical examination of the individual.
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Emergency cases may not need to be attended to on time.
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The progression of all rheumatoid disease conditions, such as vasculitis, cannot be monitored through telemedicine.
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Individuals with a lack of digital experience may not be able to benefit from telemedicine.
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Telemedicine may not be accessible and practical in areas with poor internet connectivity.
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Storing medical data electronically can always be a risk, with the possibility of a breach of confidential data or hacking.
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Reimbursement for any reason is not possible.
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Legal considerations such as malpractice and the licensing of the rheumatologist cannot be monitored as effectively.
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Difficulty in maintaining long-term follow-up.
Is Telemedicine Available Around the World?
Adapting to the new future of healthcare is a joint effort. Infrastructure, cost, and efficiency limit the widespread use of telemedicine in developing countries like India and Africa. In developed countries like the United States of America, telemedicine is now an established mode of healthcare availability.
During COVID-19, rheumatoid individuals did benefit from telemedicine healthcare. Being prone to infections, rheumatoid individuals use audio or video consultations to maintain and follow the necessary treatment plans for the disease without hassle. Health insurance companies, along with advancements in technological development, can enable the availability of telemedicine in rural areas and subsequently cover the world.
How Do Rheumatoid Individuals Use Telemedicine?
The individual can upload the complaint, symptoms experienced, and test reports using a mobile application or an online portal. These pieces of information are then made available to rheumatologists. Rheumatologists may then diagnose the condition or, as a follow-up, evaluate previously advised treatment and disease progression.
In some instances, artificial intelligence may also be used for evaluating the individual's report. The appropriate treatment and management measures are returned to the individual, and the cycle continues. However, not all rheumatoid diseases can benefit from telemedicine. A rheumatologist outweighs the benefits before shifting to a telemedical approach.
Conclusion:
Telemedicine mainly aims to provide easy healthcare access to individuals, regardless of how healthy or unhealthy they may be to travel. The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a sudden uptake in telemedicine in rheumatology. Telemedicine is a safe and effective method of treating rheumatoid diseases globally with suitable investments and improvements in medical data security.
