Consulting a healthcare provider over the phone, video or text is now becoming a new normal for many non-urgent medical needs globally amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Nigeria, more people are turning to telehealth platforms to seek healthcare providers in the treatment and management of their health.
Also, the inability of Nigeria’s healthcare systems to manage the increasing number of patients’ healthcare needs has brought about an increase in the demand for telemedicine.
According to experts, the COVID-19 pandemic altered the healthcare industry virtually overnight. New challenges occurred including the cancellation of elective surgeries, furloughing of healthcare workers, which necessitated the shift to telehealth.
Telemedicine, also referred to as telehealth, is the practice of using electronic communication tools to provide medical services to patients who are not physically present.
According to a 2019 report on telemedicine, the global telemedicine market is expected to be worth $53.1 billion by 2026 with a compound annual growth rate of 14.19percent from 2019 to 2026.
Telehealth is already in place between 33 regional and university teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
Companies like Privedoc, Tremendoc, Medflit, and Doctor247 are few out of the many telehealth platforms facilitating the delivery of healthcare services to patients at the time that is most convenient for them across the country.
“With the use of telemedicine, patients do not need to travel a long distance to receive medical care; the prompt delivery of healthcare services would ultimately save lives,” Adeyinka Adeniran, chief executive officer, Medflit, a leading health information technology platform.
Telemedicine will enable people to access healthcare readily at an affordable rate lesser than the cost of hospital visits.
Besides, telemedicine provides an added advantage in its ability to cater to the needs of patients anywhere and at any given time.
Nigeria’s healthcare will be driven by innovative strategies as telehealth which is expected to change the paradigm in the future, necessitating the need for healthcare and the need to ensure the attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
Similarly, Ayo Shonibare chief medical director of Evercare Hospital Lekki and a consultant Urologist and Kidney Transplant Surgeon said with the advent of new technologies, telemedicine has become increasingly popular and increasingly important in recent years.
“Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients’ utilizing telecommunications technology. Globally, telemedicine is not a new concept and it is one of the most powerful forces reshaping the healthcare and wellness industries today, both for patients and healthcare providers.
“Nigeria’s growing population and desire for accessible quality care have created a high demand for healthcare services and a huge market for telemedicine to thrive in,” he said.
Shonibare added that technology allows patients; doctors and stakeholders in the healthcare industry to reap the benefits of telemedicine.
“Technology also has a role to play in maternal and infant health. Patients who normally may not have access to antenatal care can also be monitored remotely to ensure better outcomes for both mother and child.
“There are now several home monitoring devices that can be used remotely to help doctors predict conditions that are critical by monitoring identified high-risk patients remotely. This will help reduce fatalities in patients through warning signals, to initiate a transfer to a higher level of care in the hospital setting,” he said.
Healthcare providers have quickly adapted to an unprecedented landscape while preparing for an uncertain future.
In many cases, the healthcare systems and practices have managed to remain competitive and adopted new and emerging technologies that allow them to respond to the evolving needs of their patients.
However, the pandemic has left its score on the healthcare industry, and it will take some time for things to return to normal. Remaining profitable during these uncertain times requires a shift in business practices and a willingness to remain quick as circumstances continue to change.
Ola Orekunrin-Brown, chief executive officer (CEO), Flying Doctors Nigeria, said using telemedicine is an innovative approach to healthcare in Nigeria. Remote support for preclinical healthcare staff and the institution of robust systems is what we need to manage patient journeys.
“Task shifting and efficient referral systems will transform healthcare in Nigeria by improving accessibility and reducing cost,” she said.
However, Nigeria can learn more as African countries to begin early investments in digital health, as experts see that telemedicine will be the next big boom in the continent in the next five to eight years.
Amit Thakker, president, Africa Healthcare Federation (AHF), stated that there is a bulge looking to enter digital space in healthcare and advised governments and policy makers to move quickly to absorb them, to stimulate the right growth at the right time that will also lead to entrepreneurship in the youthful population.
Thakker spoke recently at a virtual Workshop on “The Key role of a ‘healthy’ Health Sector in Sustainable Economic Development” organized by Omnia Health Lice Africa. While sharing experiences of Kenya on telemedicine, Thakker said that outpatient consultation has grown by 17 percent in the last 6 months and is projected to grow by 60 percent by next year.
“Kenya has developed a new law known as the Health Act, to prevent counterfeit telemedicine providers and counterfeit telehealth organisation who might want to take advantage of the situation.
“I believe that investment in digital health is a great option. It is not only telemedicine and telehealth, but there are many remote patient monitoring tools, there will be things to do around data analytics and AI-related needs that we have.
“We can learn and share from each other in Africa, Africans can learn from Africans, not necessarily abroad, we don’t necessarily need to travel,” he said.
