While it was completely unthinkable a few years ago to receive professional medical care in a way that was not strictly personal, advances in digitization have brought with them a whole host of opportunities in this area. As in many other industries, the momentum of the pandemic and the fear of patients, or the inability to attend health centers, have sparked an outbreak of remote care. Many processes will always require physical contact, but some of the consultations, either through a video call or even through messages giving instant access to a health professional’s opinion, can be done without going to the health center.
“The benefits of remote care are clear. Neither patients nor professionals have to travel. At times like this, being afraid to see a doctor, be it public or private, is ideal. If the virus is somewhere, it makes sense to think that the clinic may be due to the transfer of patients. For telemedicine, the virus has been a spectacular driving force, ”said Carlos Falcato, CEO and founder of Salud On Net, a pioneering initiative that works like an online marketplace in which specific private health services are contracted depending on what is needed at the time .
The entrepreneur emphasizes that remote care is especially beneficial for certain patient profiles. “For patients with chronic problems, video consultation has been a spectacular tool because they could go to a cardiologist or dermatologist, for example, to send photos to make a diagnosis. The experience is so good that users repeat. Even if they can go to the doctor, they take it as a real alternative ”.
Nel González, president of the Spanish Confederation of Mental Health, also recognizes the potential of this modality in the world of psychological care. “We have to use technology, for example in case of suicide risk, the person assigned to the patient has the ability to be reachable to support them when they need it most, but we should see it not change personally “he warns.
And is that for the expert, remote care gaps, the most important of which is lack of resources. “It would have been very important if telemedicine had caught us with enough resources. The pandemic came with an absolute lack of human and economic resources. In European countries there are 18 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants and in Spain we have 4 ”. Another problem it poses is that communication quality is lost. “You, as a communications professional, know very well that a camera imposes a camera on us, even though we are very handsome and photogenic. Imagine sitting in front of a camera with your doctor. Imposes ”.
New access options
In addition to serving, digitization in healthcare has had an impact in opening up new ways to access services. This is the case with Salud On Net, the platform works as a private health center insurer, negotiating a reduced price for access to treatment, but for the public, it allows pay-per-use. “The user enters the web page and selects the medical action that interests him; You can search by price and appreciation of others. The service is purchased, paid for by card or by other means, and a usage code is generated which is presented in the clinic ”, details Falcato.
According to the founder, the platform works well in ecosystems with a developed private health. Before the pandemic, it planned its expansion in Latin America; The virus forced him to freeze the plans, but he is confident that they will eventually reach the area: “Not many people have access to insurance because of their economic standing and yet, when we negotiate rates with the clinics, we get a price. completely democratic for almost all budgets ”.
The platform is available all over Spain, but does not have the same reception everywhere, mainly because the degree of technological reception is not at the same level across the country. “Madrid, where people are used to using the smartphone for everything, is not the same as going to Ávila or Toledo or to a rural area. This is a spectacular alternative to rural areas, but there is a more cultural problem than connectivity ”.
Falcato reveals that his company plans to reach Mexico. “We considered entering Mexico. It is a very interesting country, what is happening is it requires a big investment because it is very big. We’ve thought about starting in a specific place. It’s just like when we wanted to start in the United States, we wouldn’t do it globally, but through states. Mexico is in the spotlight and it makes sense to start in Mexico City, ”he says.
From reactivity to proactivity
Monitoring
Via a monthly subscription service of 4.99 euros, Salud On Net offers the possibility of unlimited medical video consultation. The platform stores a series of patient data that allows doctors to provide personalized advice in any case. “The state of good health is generally not luck or bad luck, it is an attempt to maintain the best possible health as long as we maintain habits that we all know. Control stress, sleep, diet and sedentary lifestyle. Through our platform, this information is stored to diagnose these habits and provide better solutions, ”said founder and CEO, Carlos Falcato.
A God
As to whether these types of initiatives are now temporarily in vogue because of the pandemic or, on the contrary, they will continue once it is over, the CEO says that in favor of telemedicine there is a very important factor: they try, they tend to repeat ”.