German-based Ralf Jahns, MD at Research2Guidance, explains the role of different stakeholders in fighting COVID-19.
The coronavirus is spreading around the world exponentially. Governments, healthcare providers, and businesses are introducing drastic measures to slow down the spreading of the virus.
There is a strong belief among digital health providers that their services can be of great help now. There are already more than 800 million users of digital health services globally, including symptom checkers, mental health, digital therapeutics, telehealth, fitness solutions, to name just a few segments that provide their services remotely. Providing remote care to ease the pressure on healthcare systems is what is needed now.
Digital health solutions can be effectively used throughout the entire coronavirus patient ‘lifecycle’, from triage and self-testing to quarantine and post-quarantine management. Companies are currently rushing to expand their service offerings to support the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. All industry stakeholders should act quickly to overcome barriers for a wide implementation push of digital solutions.
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There are three groups of stakeholders which are best positioned to make digital health services offerings an important piece in the puzzle to fight COVID-19. Time matters a lot. All stakeholders should focus on using what is already available on the market. Building ecosystems of existing solutions that support all stages of the coronavirus patient’s ‘lifecycle’ might be more appropriate than developing something from scratch.
First line stakeholders, such as telehealth providers, are already reporting a strong increase in the use of their services. Furthermore the second line stakeholders, such as digital therapeutics companies, are expanding their services to meet the demand from quarantined patients. Every day there is a new announcement of a COVID-19 related offering from digital diabetes, cardiovascular or digital weight loss service providers. Enablers are now asked to quickly select, promote, and apply these services to their customers, members, employees and populations.
Source: Mobihealth News