Challenges in conducting virtual follow-up to chronic illness patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Submitted: 6 May 2024
Accepted: 23 September 2024
Published online: 7 January, TAPS 2025, 10(1), 59-61
Kye Mon Min Swe1, Amit Bhardwaj2 & Hnin Pwint Phyu3
1School of Medicine, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Malaysia; 2Department of Orthopaedics, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore; 3M Kandiah Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
I. INTRODUCTION
Telemedicine is defined as delivering healthcare services across distances using telecommunication technology (Waseh & Dicker, 2019). It helps ensure continuity of care for vulnerable patients to address the unique demands on our health system, especially in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, via virtual follow-up. It is also helpful in engaging medical students in training and patient care (Aron et al., 2020).
During the pandemic, virtual follow-up (VF) home visits were introduced in the integrated family medicine curriculum for Year 4 students. The family medicine curriculum for Year 4 students highlights the significance of comprehending chronic illnesses within the broader framework of the patient’s family and environment via the Follow-up Study of Patients with Chronic Illnesses programme, traditionally conducted through in-person patient visits. This study investigated the challenges faced while conducting virtual follow-up (VF) patient visits amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
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