Managing Chronic Conditions Through Telemedicine

Introduction

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are leading illnesses and causes of death in the Philippines. Managing these conditions requires consistent monitoring, lifestyle adjustments, and regular consultations with healthcare providers. However, access to continuous care can be challenging, especially for those in remote areas or with mobility issues. Telemedicine offers a solution by providing remote healthcare services, enabling patients to manage their chronic conditions effectively from the comfort of their homes. Find out how chronic disease management telemedicine can change your healthcare experience. Let’s begin!

Understanding Chronic Disease Management via Telemedicine

Telemedicine involves the use of digital communication tools to provide clinical healthcare remotely. This includes consultations via video calls, remote monitoring of vital signs, and digital transmission of medical data. For chronic disease management, telemedicine allows for regular check-ups, medication adjustments, and lifestyle counseling without the need for in-person visits. In short, remote patient monitoring is a possible option for everyone with access to telemedicine.

Benefits of telemedicine in chronic disease management

• Accessibility: Patients in rural or underserved areas can access specialists without traveling long distances.
• Convenience: Flexible scheduling reduces time off work and transportation costs.
• Patient Engagement: Regular virtual interactions +encourage adherence to treatment plans.
• Paperless: Medical documents are sent digitally (e.g., medical certificates, prescriptions, lab requests, etc.).
• Health Care Services: Telehealth services are included for wellness.
• Video Conferencing: You can still talk to care providers with the video call feature of telehealth care.

Read this related article to know more benefits of using online consultation for medical care

The application of telemedicine in chronic disease management changes how normally people get their checkups. With the effectiveness of telemedicine, patients can tend to their illnesses better. Thus, ensuring effective management of chronic diseases.

What are the Limitations of Chronic Disease Management Telemedicine?

While telemedicine offers numerous advantages, it is essential to recognize its limitations. Patients should consult their healthcare providers to determine when in-person visits are necessary and how to integrate telemedicine effectively into their care plans.

Here are some of the limitations of telemedicine:

• Physical Examinations: Certain assessments require in-person visits, and cannot be done via video call using a mobile phone.
• Diagnostic Testing: Laboratory tests and imaging studies cannot be conducted remotely.
• Technology Barriers: Limited access to reliable internet or digital devices can hinder telemedicine utilization.
• Privacy Concerns: Ensuring the confidentiality of patient data is crucial in digital communications.
• Doctors Online: Some telehealth apps only have a general practitioner online for immediate online consultations.

Fortunately, telehealth platforms like NowServing offers a more flexible setup for patients. This allows them to find experts with specialization who offer online consultations. Furthermore, immediate consultations also involve experts with specialization. Thus, ensuring patients can receive the medical care needed digitally.

Common Chronic Illnesses That Can Be Managed via Telemedicine

Older adults commonly have serious chronic illnesses due to lower immune system and poor lifestyle. Despite having a life-long disease, the use of telemedicine can create a significant difference in management, allowing options for medical care.

Here are some of the most common long-term illnesses that Filipino patients can manage effectively with the help of telemedicine:

Diabetes

Whatever type of diabetes you have, it is a must to continue proper management to avoid life-threatening consequences from lack of insulin. When the body fails to produce insulin, it can raise the blood sugar levels. With the help of telehealth intervention, patients can reach out to an endocrinologist for remote patient monitoring options.

• What’s managed: Blood glucose tracking, insulin or oral medications, meal planning, lab tests.
• How telemedicine helps: Patients can send glucose readings and other test results if needed. Doctors can remotely adjust doses and review diet logs.
• Tools you might need at home: Glucometers, continuous glucose monitors, dietary tracking apps, and a device for telehealth visits.

Hypertension

Another common chronic disease that should be managed is high blood pressure or hypertension. High blood pressure is commonly identified as silent killer disease due to lack of symptoms. In that case, telemedicine becomes handy to patients as they can contact doctors for guidance whenever needed. Consult with a primary care doctor or a cardiologist to avoid possible spiking of blood pressure readings.

• What’s managed: BP readings, medications, lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise)
• How telemedicine helps: Regular virtual consultation for managing and monitoring hypertension. You can also get e-prescriptions and buy medications as needed.
• Tools you might need at home: sphygmomanometer and a mobile device for online consultation

Heart Disease

Aside from hypertension, another fatal illness is cardiovascular disease or heart disease. This type of illness consists of different conditions that involve parts of the heart. Some of them are a result of birth defects, while most cases occur due to poor lifestyle and diet.

Unfortunately, patients with heart disease are prone to heart failure, especially if they lack proper management of this chronic illness. Although, that can still change if they have an initiative to seek help for early detection of complications. Telehealth visits can help you achieve this goal, which reduces hospital readmissions in the future.

• What’s managed: Weight monitoring, medication titration, symptom tracking (e.g., edema, fatigue).
• How telemedicine helps: Doctors can send request forms for lab tests if necessary and provide diagnosis digitally. They can also send e-prescriptions for heart maintenance medications.
• Tools you might need at home: Pulse oximeters, digital ECG patches, and a device for telemedicine.

Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Meanwhile, another life-long illness that needs proper management is the chronic respiratory disease. Like heart disease, it is a type of illness that encompasses different illnesses. Conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require ongoing management. Telemedicine allows for monitoring of symptoms, medication adherence, and patient education, leading to improved quality of life.

• What’s managed: Wheezing, peak flow rates, inhaler use, oxygen saturation.
• How telemedicine helps: Pulmonologists can adjust controller medications and rescue inhalers based on real-time symptom reports.
• Tools you might need at home: Home spirometers, oximeters, asthma tracking apps, and a device for telemedicine.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

When it comes to chronic illness, another condition that people often get diagnosed with is a chronic kidney disease. It occurs when the kidney fails to do its duty to the body, which is to filter wasted. The kidneys can gradually stop its function due to poor lifestyle or habits like not drinking water, holding pee, etc. Meanwhile, kidneys can also get damaged due to other diseases, if not treated immediately. Thus, showing why immediate intervention through telemedicine can help you be better. You can contact urologists and nephrologists anytime and anywhere for disease control and ensure your recovery.

• What’s managed: Lab results (e.g., creatinine, GFR), dialysis schedules, blood pressure.
• How telemedicine helps: Doctors can request lab work and guide patients on lifestyle or dialysis needs without in-person clinic visits. They can also issue e-prescriptions for needed medications for kidney functions.
• Tools you might need at home: A device for telemedicine.

Arthritis (Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis)

In terms of chronic disease management, telemedicine is also a crucial healthcare tool for patients with arthritis. This condition is commonly developed by older adults after damaging joints from physical activities. In that case, chronic disease management must be prioritized, and a possible choice for older patients is telemedicine.

Flare-ups can be painful, which makes it difficult for such patients to walk or even stand for a long time. With that, choosing a safer space while getting guidance from a rheumatologist can still occur with home telehealth usage.

• What’s managed: Joint pain, mobility, medication side effects.
• How telemedicine helps: Rheumatologists can check flare-up frequency, adjust DMARDs, and refer to therapy remotely. They can also prescribe new medications or request labs as needed
• Tools you might need at home: Symptom journals, pain trackers, virtual physical therapy, and a device for telemedicine.

Mental Health Disorders (e.g., Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder)

For patients who struggle from mental health disorders, they can attain assistance and support with the help of telemedicine. In just one tap, they can book a session with a psychologist or psychiatrist to undergo psychotherapy or get anti-depressants. Aside from that, one particular benefit of telemedicine is providing health services with data privacy for patients. Their medical information is safe, which ensures patients that their statements, including all sensitive information during therapy sessions are confidential.

• What’s managed: Mood tracking, medication adherence, therapy sessions.
• How telemedicine helps: Psychiatric care can continue without stigma or travel. Regular counseling can improve long-term outcomes.
• Tools you might need at home: Mood tracking apps and a device for telemedicine.

Thyroid Disorders (Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism)

Lastly, patients with thyroid disorders must also consider alternative options for managing their chronic illness. Chronic disease management through telemedicine is a great option as they can contact an endocrinologist immediately to manage symptoms better. At the same time, prevent possible negative outcomes as doctors provide guidance in just one video call.

• What’s managed: Lab follow-ups, medication dosage changes, symptom monitoring (fatigue, palpitations).
• How telemedicine helps: Doctors can request labs to provide a more accurate diagnosis. They can also provide e-prescriptions for medications to ensure balanced hormone levels and avoid possible severity of thyroid problems.
• Tools you might need at home: A device for telemedicine

Read related article to know more other conditions you can manage via telemedicine

Utilizing NowServing for Chronic Disease Management

As mentioned, NowServing is a digital platform in the Philippines that connects patients with healthcare providers for online consultations. It is one of the leading telemedicine apps the Filipinos can use anytime and anywhere, which can be essential for chronic disease management.

Here’s how to fully utilize NowServing:

1. Download the app or access the NowServing website
2. To book an online consultation, simply find them via the search filter options available (e.g., city, service, condition, and specialty)
3. Once you settle on the category, you can book a doctor by clicking the “Book Appointment” button.
4. Fill the form provided to continue
5. Pay the consultation fee
6. Wait for the doctor to accept your booking
7. Prepare for the online video call consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How effective is telemedicine in managing chronic diseases?

Telemedicine has been shown to improve health outcomes by facilitating regular monitoring, enhancing patient engagement, and enabling timely interventions.

Can I get prescriptions through telemedicine?

Yes, healthcare providers can prescribe medications during teleconsultations, and prescriptions can be sent electronically to pharmacies.

Is my health information secure during telemedicine consultations?

Reputable telemedicine platforms implement robust security measures to protect patient data, including encryption and compliance with privacy regulations.

What equipment do I need for a telemedicine consultation?

A device with internet access (such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer) and a camera is typically sufficient for video consultations.

Conclusion

Telemedicine presents a valuable tool for managing chronic conditions, offering increased accessibility, convenience, and patient engagement. While it does not replace all aspects of in-person care, it serves as an effective complement, particularly for routine monitoring and consultations.

Platforms like NowServing empower Filipinos to take control of their health, ensuring that chronic disease management is more accessible and efficient. Take the first step towards better health management by scheduling a telemedicine consultation through NowServing.