ABSTRACT
Digitalization in medicine is of major interest since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. This article tries to present the induced changes and technical solutions with respect to the different parts in the patient journey. Symptom checkers, new health applications, digital appointment management etc. are described. Apart from the technical and digital possibilities, the changes in the quality of communication additionally have to be mentioned. There is an urgent need for further technical standardization including the interfaces. In many cases further studies must confirm the equivalence of digital applications in comparison to analogue techniques.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Rheumatic Diseases , Telemedicine , Humans , Pandemics , Rheumatic Diseases/diagnosis , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, in recent months we have experienced deep changes in our daily and professional lives. In the context of pandemic containment, routine rheumatological procedures have changed in many areas. To guarantee sufficient protection against the infection for patients and staff, telemedicine (especially telephone and video consultation) has increasingly been used. Due to the Digital Healthcare Act (DiGAV), whereby patients will have a legal claim to specific digital health applications in Germany, medical apps and wearables will offer new opportunities for telemedical monitoring. This article provides an overview of telemedical care options in the field of rheumatology. Furthermore, opportunities and limitations of telemedicine in rheumatology are reviewed.