Saudi Journal of Medicine (SJM)
Volume-6 | Issue-06 | 132-136
Review Article
Challenges and Limitations during Management of Surgical Patients via Telemedicine during COVID-19 Pandemic
Dr. Satya Prakash Meena, Dr. Manisha Jhirwal, Dr. Mayank Badkur, Dr. Mahendra Lodha
Published : June 14, 2021
Abstract
COVID 19 disease was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Telemedicine facilities become a spine for health care system in developing countries for managing communicable disease as well as surgical patients. Most of the hospitals have newer experience with these organized telemedicine facilities. This comprehensive review has done with a search engine on PubMed, Google scholar with keywords like telemedicine in India, telemedicine in COVID 19, COVID 19, telemedicine guidelines, telemedicine consultation and chronic disease. In Indian scenarios, this newer modality of treatment for surgical patients has fewer limitations due to slower adaptability and lack of psychological support. The health care system required proper training for the improvement of this virtual model of consultation and examination. A hybrid form of management can bridge between telemedicine and physical consultation to provide good and adequate surgical care. A multispecialty virtual meeting may provide adequate and satisfactory telemedicine consultation for high-risk, comorbid, palliative surgical patients. Fewer limitations are needs to reconsider for a safe, assessable, adequate and convenient virtual platform like lack of good hospitality infrastructures, proper guidelines, medical education, clinical training and adaptability. Surgical and oncological society guidelines may help to triage and smooth management of COVID and Non-COVID patients. Triage of surgical patients in telemedicine OPD has a positive impact on the overall prognosis of patients with an acceptable risk of disease.