The coronavirus pandemic forced the world to move to virtuality, even for medical appointments. However, not everyone goes to the doctor through a screen.
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According to a recent study, there is mistrust in medical teleconsultations, as people do not know how to express symptoms in front of the camera. The national survey revealed that Colombians are postponing appointments and medical check-ups for fear of catching Covid-19.
“I’m afraid to attend, that’s why I’ve always looked for the resource of making it virtual”, expressed the patient Daniela Paola Aragón. Like her, many people are afraid of going to the doctor when they feel ill or when they are being checked for their underlying illnesses.
“Many of us have certain crises. It scares me very much because due to my conditions, unfortunately, I am vulnerable to acquiring the coronavirus, I better stay at home, “said Jhon Javier Torres.
The problem is that they do not attend the IPS and do not trust telemedicine. Most do not feel comfortable describing their state in front of the cell phone or computer camera.
“Despite the high openness that users have shown towards telemedicine, many of them report inconveniences to express their symptoms adequately,” explained Cristina Contreras, a Sinnetic consultant.
Not everyone dares to be honest with the doctor in this way because of “the mistrust of the confidentiality of the information that is discussed in these medical appointments,” added Crontreras.
According to the survey, 62% of those interviewed have postponed appointments with general medicine for fear of catching it in hospitals; 46% laboratory exams during quarantine due to mobility restrictions and 41% have postponed appointments with specialists for the same reasons. But what implications does this have?
“It implies a significant slowdown in the diagnosis and timely detection of serious diseases, assuming high future costs for the health system,” said the Sinnetic consultancy.
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Experts recommend that the health system should facilitate Internet connections for all users and make them feel comfortable with these remote systems that, perhaps, will persist.
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