The state can test medical consultations remotely

A Bulgarian company offers free innovative telemedicine technology for online communication with both doctors and medical professionals during the restrictive measures due to the coronavirus.

„Our company wrote two letters to all institutions currently organizing the situation. Our offer is to use the platform free of charge, without commitment. To facilitate the work of GPs who are at the forefront. We do not have any response at the moment from any state institution. I suspect that they are currently flooded with other proposals and do not dare to quickly commit to a decision. Especially when they haven't seen him, they haven't met him, "Krassimira Maslarova from the innovative company told BNR.

Maslarova's company has been developing an online platform for telemedicine for several years. For some time now, the system has been used by hospitals such as Pirogov, St. Anna University, and private hospitals in another 30 settlements.

„In some municipalities we have installed devices that provide telecommunications so that the elderly person, for example, or a person without technical knowledge, can go to the municipality, technically only be connected to a doctor and online he can be carried out in peace, self-consultation with doctor ", Krassimira Maslarova told in the show" Horizon till noon ".

The platform is trusted by hospitals and medical communities. It saves people travel and doctors save them from quarantining in front of offices.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, last year more than 60% of people had the opportunity to ask their questions remotely to doctors.

„Doctors on duty online monitor, for example, people in quarantine. And people suspected of having an infectious disease can contact them, see them online, refer them. People in quarantine sometimes panic. They have many additional questions and online tracking, with visual contact and all the additional features, provides security for both parties, "said Maslarova.

Telemedicine is not a panacea, but in many cases it turns out to be the best possible alternative, and sometimes the only possible option, she points out and adds from personal experience how in a situation of work from home even to doctors, reliable communication over the Internet becomes life-saving.

„I had a problem with my family. Right now, during the quarantine period, I had to contact my GP. For three days the woman failed to pick me up. But if there is a regulated field in which to record an appointment, online consultation, I think it will be convenient for all parties. In the platform we guarantee that all included and presenting themselves as doctors are full-fledged doctors registered in the Bulgarian Medical Union. Personal experience from an acquaintance: I came across an associate professor who introduced himself as a doctor. In the process of talking on Facebook, it turned out that this is a teacher of Bulgarian language and literature, who simply believed in herself and introduced herself as a medical person, even prescribed psychotropic drugs. Recommends, gives schematics ...”

That is why Krassimira Maslarova believes that the current situation with the coronavirus will provoke the interest of the Bulgarian authorities in such developments.

„We have been talking to doctors for a long time. Everyone agrees that this is the future, that digital services must be introduced. But it was postponed. They said, "Yes, yes, this is the future. It's just not on our agenda right now. After all, people are used to traveling, why change it. ”Until now we see how urgent it is. Now, in addition to people in quarantine, there are chronically ill people who continue to have problems, questions. There are healthy people who have health cases. It was for a child. Instead of going to the doctor, given that going out is not recommended, you can see the benefits of telemedicine, which relieves the pressure on the health system, provides security, is socially responsible. It saves a lot of costs for all parties, "said Maslarova.

Krassimira Maslarova's company is the winner of an award for social innovation for 2019. Krassimira herself is convinced that in the future the state will recognize the possibility of remote medical consultations.

„So that the health insured people at the National Health Insurance Fund can also benefit. Not experimental, not just private pay, not just private local initiatives. This is a more general issue that will probably take time and probably can't happen now, in one day. But now in one day, without costing anything, you can try the benefits of this thing in practice. Moreover, as far as I know, the state needs to include e-health.”

Listen to the topic in detail in the sound file here.