Given that GPs are so heavily reliant on technology these days – for medical records, for communications, for finding patients’ homes when undertaking visits, etc. it is somewhat surprising that the medical profession is represented as being so hostile to telehealth monitoring by one of their major publications, Pulse. One would assume from the benefits the doctors get from technology that their stance would be to encourage their patients and the patients’ carers to benefit from the technology now available. Perhaps its a doctor-patient power thing. Or perhaps they are insensitive to the disruption caused to the people who have struggled along to the waiting room for something that could be dealt with by phone, SMS or email. Or perhaps it is a symptom of the profession’s current displeasure with all things Government-endorsed. Whatever the reason, Pulse has now published an index of its articles on the subject of the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) programme – Timeline: the evidence so far on telehealth, telecare and telemedicine. UPDATE: Friday 8 March – This article now seems to be accessible only if you register on the site.
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Well I couldn’t get excited about this timeline item to be honest but as I am registered I enjoyed the Monthly Pulse PDF – some of it just from curiosity or because I know someone with a condition they are discussing but most of all from a professional perspective the article about early dementia diagnoses. As you say, Steve, very wary and not in favour is how the medical profession is coming across “not in patients best interests” “may upset them” … etc.
Well of course we should be careful about how we handle such sensitive areas BUT what about the potential benefits of introducing Assistive Technologies to the patient with an early diagnosis and their family – doesn’t even get a breathy mention. I am not even talking about necessarily the bigger more expensive items – little things like a memominder which many people see demonstrated and say “oh I need one of those I am always forgetting my keys”
Naturally people are fearful of the dreaded Dementia but we need to stop making it such a taboo and shameful condition and be more open and more honest about it all … not everything is about medication – some things are about supporting people to find coping strategies.