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Travelling to the doctor’s office, showing your insurance card and sitting in the waiting room next to other patients – this is what a doctor’s visit used to look like. With telemedicine, however, this has fundamentally changed.
Telemedicine allows diagnoses and treatments to be made and carried out – at least in part – from your living room at home. For this purpose, a remote treatment is usually conducted via a video consultation. This combines medical care with the opportunities offered by the digital age.
Telemedicine enables doctors to provide medical services digitally and from a distance. They use technologies such as video calls, apps or special platforms to make diagnoses, issue prescriptions or monitor treatment. This modern form of care combines the classic standards of medicine with the possibilities of digitalization.
A patient has a migraine attack and can’t leave the house. During a video consultation, she describes her symptoms to a doctor. Immediately after the consultation, she receives the prescription digitally or can pick it up at the pharmacy. It is also possible to extend a certificate of incapacity for work in this way.
Telemedicine is an important supplement to traditional medical care and makes everyday life easier for both patients and professionals. Telemedicine has three specific objectives:
Like any innovation, telemedicine brings both benefits and challenges. Here is an overview:
Advantages:
Challenges:
Personal visits are still important, but often a visit to the doctor is not necessary. Telemedicine is subject to clear rules and standards that guarantee a high quality of care. In addition, doctors must complete special training in order to be able to provide telemedical services at the highest level.
Telemedicine has developed greatly in recent years and now encompasses various models and areas of application. Here is an overview of the most important forms:
The video consultation is the most commonly used form of telemedicine. It enables patients to contact doctors via a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. They can describe symptoms and – if available – upload documents such as findings or pictures.
When does the video consultation take place?
Please note: Video consultations are only suitable for matters that do not require a physical examination. In acute cases, emergencies or physical symptoms that require an examination, a visit to the doctor’s practice or hospital is still necessary.
Telediagnostics enables people to transmit medical data such as pictures or videos digitally to doctors. They can analyze the data and make diagnoses based on it or take further steps.
Frequent areas of application of telediagnostics:
Telediagnostics is not only practical, but also allows for closer collaboration between professionals. Even over long distances. In some cases, it can replace an on-site visit, but in the case of complicated findings or limited technical capabilities, it is limited to supporting measures.
Teletherapy is another area of telemedicine that is often described as digital therapeutic support. Doctors and physiotherapists use this concept, for example, to support patients after orthopedic operations. Via video calls, the healthcare professional can check whether the exercises are being performed correctly and can give specific instructions.
Tele-expertise is a digital exchange between doctors and other medical professionals. They can consult on complex cases and discuss treatment options via video conferencing or similar technologies.
Examples of the use of tele-expertise:
Tele-expertise enables close collaboration, regardless of the geographical location of the parties involved, thus improving health care.
Telemedicine, also known as Telmed, is an established insurance model in Switzerland. Alongside the general practitioner and standard model, it is one of the most popular options in basic insurance. In the event of health problems, insureds are obliged to first contact a medical hotline, which is generally free of charge. There, they receive an initial consultation from specialist staff and, if necessary, are referred to a doctor or hospital.
This service is available around the clock, seven days a week, and helps to clarify health concerns quickly and easily. Insureds also benefit from significant savings: The premiums of the Telmed model are generally 10 to 20 percent cheaper than with conventional insurance models.
Please note: In the event of an acute emergency, you should of course consult a doctor immediately or call 144 for an ambulance.
Nadine Graf is a theme manager and writes texts for AXA on topics related to insurance and beyond.
