Role of Telehealth in the Management of COVID-19: Lessons Learned from Previous SARS, MERS, and Ebola Outbreaks
Publication: Telemedicine and e-Health
Volume 26, Issue Number 7
Abstract
Concerns about the prevention and management of COVID-19 are on the rise, as it is crucial in contagious epidemics that travel and transfer of the patients be minimal for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-ups. Telemedicine or telehealth can play an important role, especially with previous successful experiences in the management of acute infectious respiratory epidemics such as SARS and MERS. In order to better control the rapid spread of coronavirus and manage the COVID-19 crisis, both developed and developing countries can improve the efficiency of their health system by replacing a proportion of face-to-face clinical encounters with telehealth. Recent technological advancement facilitates this reform, but there is a need for national or state-wide rules and regulations to be adapted accordingly.
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Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
History
Published online: 8 July 2020
Published in print: July 2020
Published ahead of print: 23 April 2020
Accepted: 16 April 2020
Received: 15 April 2020
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The authors received no specific funding for this work.
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