A solid telehealth approach has become a vital method to improve patient experiences and optimize operational efficiency. During our round table on adopting evidence-based telehealth solutions, participants from Colombia learned about solutions by Elsevier and Spectator.

Increasing patient empowerment and healthcare efficiency

Telehealth solutions can be of value to Colombian healthcare providers who want to monitor patients remotely and assist them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This helps reduce the number of unnecessary consultations and hospital visits. And so, not only does telehealth stimulate patient empowerment: it also makes healthcare more cost-effective.

Participants from different hospitals, universities, healthcare centers, and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, among others, joined the presentations by Daniela Naranjo (Elsevier), and Cesar Villa and Frans Hermes (Spectator). The speakers introduced their companies as well as the collaboration between the two.

Improving the patient experience

Elsevier is internationally known for its research publications and its analytical solutions, benefiting health practitioners as well as researchers. As Daniela Naranjo explained, Elsevier participates in Spectator’s products by providing content in order to…

• optimize communication between doctor and patient
• increase the engagement with patients
• improve the patient experience

Spectator develops technological tools that facilitate communication between patients and healthcare practitioners. Cesar Villa presented Spectator’s telehealth solutions for preventive care, remote primary care and chronic/elderly care. Spectator’s tools include BiDiApp, which empowers patients by providing evidence-based content about health and lifestyle, the ability to directly contact a specialist, videoconferencing with friends and family, and more.

Reducing the amount of unnecessary hospital visits

Elsevier and Spectator have set up a partnership to develop an effective and comprehensive telehealth system for patients as well as healthcare professionals. As explained during the round table, Elsevier’s academic content is implemented in Spectator’s tools. Together, they support...

• commitment to the patient
  Elsevier integrates 8,000 titles of content in Spanish into BiDiApp, covering Medications, Diagnosis, Treatment, Mental Health, General Well-being, and more.
• patient decision-making
  Brochures and articles are provided to take away patients’ doubts on for instance prevention, tests, diagnosis, treatment, self-care.
• preventive care
  Evidence-based and personalized medical information is available to support prevention.
• primary care
  By offering video teleconsultations and by supporting self-triage through questionnaires and a symptom checker, the number of unnecessary admissions to hospitals is reduced.

Supporting patients in rural areas

During the Q&A session, several comments were made regarding the use of the Spectator app and Elsevier’s evidence-based content. A key aspect that was addressed, was its use in rural areas. How to support patients who do not have proper access to the internet? Cesar Villa specified that Elsevier uses dynamic technologies which are able to adapt to the patient’s conditions.

The importance of using telehealth in Colombia was confirmed by participants. It is an important way to provide health services to more Colombian patients, thus improving their experience, lowering risks and reducing costs.

Are you interested in learning more about evidence-based telehealth? Learn more about Elsevier and Spectator, and contact them today.

This was the last of the four scheduled round tables. During our previous sessions, we discussed ways to improve screening programs, medicine distribution and adherence, and mobility and vitality in an ageing population.