COVID-19 outbreak represents an opportunity for the development of internet healthcare

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 epidemic has presented a severe test for the medical systems of all countries in the world. Regardless of developed or developing countries, the traditional medical service model has been dramatically affected. The traditional face-to-face treatment model has increased doctors’ risk of infection. In contrast, for patients with chronic diseases, going to the hospital for treatment raises the risk of cross-infection, which seriously affects their standard medical treatment. The Internet Healthcare’s non-contact treatment model, the ultra-large crowd processing capacity of computers, responsiveness that is unrestricted by time and place, multi-channel information collection, and precise diagnosis and treatment are supported by a considerable knowledge base have unleashed their full potential in the COVID-19 epidemic. Thus, these are generally considered to be reliable medical tools that can effectively perform chronic disease management amid the epidemic. COVID-19 has left us with a huge scar. Also, human society will likely face similar natural disasters in the future. So, in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic, we medical workers need to duly think about and explore medical models that align with future social development. Internet Healthcare, as an inevitable outcome of social and technological developments, needs to inherit the advantages and essence of the traditional medical model and progress on its basis. Instead of blindly relying on new technologies, it should reexamine the future of Internet Healthcare on the foundation of a traditional model. Therefore, for Internet Healthcare, this novel coronavirus pandemic is perhaps an opportunity and a challenge. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.