What is telemedicine and its advantages

Talking about telemedicine it means talking about health-related data.

That is, all information relating to the data subject’s “health status” and managed by the healthcare professional acting as data controller. Sensitive data that relates to the individual’s “privacy” is regulated by the GDPR. Article 4, paragraph 1, no. 15 of Regulation 2016/679 provides a clear and specific definition for this category of data.

This particular consideration by the Community legislator realises the importance of taking greater care of a fundamental constitutionally guaranteed right such as the right to health.. 

The telemedicine It provides for the secure transmission of medical information and data necessary for the patient journey; in various formats: text, sound, images or other forms. 

For the World Health Organization (OMS), with telemedicine it is indicated

The provision of care and assistance services, in situations where distance is a critical factor, by any healthcare provider through the use of information and communication technologies to exchange information useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and injuries, for research and evaluation, and for the ongoing training of healthcare personnel, in the interest of individual and community health.

On the subject of telemedicineTherefore, we must never lose sight of the common denominators that allow for the best management of the activity, for both healthcare professionals and patients: privacy and GDPR.

The advantages of telemedicine

The evidence is undeniable: the telemedicine supports and improves healthcare services by enabling greater and better communication between and with healthcare professionals involved and interested in a patient’s care pathway.
So, do telemedicine It means assisting your patients remotely, consulting with them, and examining them; it means sharing all relevant documents with them. Telemedicine is almost instantaneous: the limitations of distance and time are eliminated by using a different tool.

The telemedicine, therefore, represents that bridge towards improving healthcare services; the bridge between healthcare professional and patient: the most direct connection.

Going into the merits of the benefits linked to the projects of telemedicine several can be cited: 

• equity in access to care, providing healthcare even in peripheral areas;
• timely and continuous care, also ensuring safe healthcare;
• Improved effectiveness, efficiency, and appropriateness, with timely interventions; this reduces the risks associated with potential complications, the need for hospitalization, and waiting times;
• optimization of the use of available resources
• Significant reductions in healthcare spending, which significantly impacts GDP; it is estimated that (again in Italy) state spending on chronically ill care will reach €70.7 billion in 2028 (currently just over €67 billion).

A new software supports telemedicine: PSYCARE

Telemedicine and digital health have become increasingly essential during the Coronavirus pandemic.

There has been, in practice, a considerable incentive to evolve and update the telemedicine In Italy, online therapy is not intended to replace traditional therapy, but rather to complement and support it.

All this using the most advanced existing technologies but in full compliance with current legislation on privacy and data processing.

                                                                                   PSYCHIC

For the telemedicine, there is a new online software: safe and simple.

Designed and developed by an expert team that prioritizes personal data security and privacy protection.

It’s a software Designed for psychologists and psychotherapists, it allows for online patient management, providing integrated services with high quality standards on a single platform.

This new one software is called “PSYCHIC”: and allows for the meeting between therapist and patients to be managed in an innovative, safe and simple way. Telemedicine, privacy and respect for the GDPR are the key words of this innovative software for psychologists and psychotherapists.

Telemedicine: the classification

The Ministry of Health gives a clear definition for what we call telemedicine.

Precisely because this is a healthcare sector, there cannot be any uncertainty or error that could undermine the protection that must characterize this area. Therefore, according to the Ministry of Health, for telemedicine it means a

methods of providing healthcare services, through the use of innovative technologies, in particular Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), in situations where the healthcare professional and the patient (or two professionals) are not in the same location. 

Always according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, the services of telemedicine can be classified into 3 large macro-areas: 

• Teleassistance
• Specialist telemedicine
• Telesalute

With the term Teleassistance This refers to all those social assistance services for people with disabilities, delivered in their homes. This is done by using alarms, activating emergency services, or making “support” calls from a service center.

The Specialist telemedicine Allows patients to access remote services and benefits within a specific medical discipline. This category includes:

• the television, which provides for interaction – in real time – between patient and doctor/specialist through video support; 
• The teleconsulto, in which doctors and specialists interact to define a diagnosis or choose a treatment; it is identified as a remote consultancy activity; 
• the telecooperation, which provides assistance between two (or more) healthcare professionals during the performance of their services.

The Telesalute It provides a personalized care service that directly connects patients (especially those with chronic conditions or the elderly) with their doctor. It assists them in diagnosis, monitoring vital signs, and managing their treatment through remote telemonitoring. Data recording and transmission can be automated or performed by the patient themselves or a healthcare provider; this interaction requires an active role for both the doctor and the patient.

Telemedicine in public services

In Italy the legislation in force regarding services of telemedicine the reference is Legislative Decree no. 502 of 30 December 1992 “Reorganization of the legislation on healthcare matters” with its subsequent amendments.

According to it, the telemedicine It does not represent a separate medical specialty, but is a tool that can be used to extend traditional practice beyond the usual physical spaces.. 

Telemedicine also in the private sector

The performance of telemedicine They can also be provided in the private sector, at dedicated facilities, provided that the necessary authorisations are in place; and the relevant region must authorise their provision.. It is a fundamental requirement that the professional is registered in the relevant professional register and is therefore a specialist for a specific service. telemedicine.

As a freelancer, anyone who wants to practice professional activities telemedicine At a private medical practice, you must comply with all applicable regulations and regulations (both regional and municipal), especially regarding security and privacy.

It is therefore essential to rely on software that guarantees a high standard of security.