Jabeen Rawshan, Rabbani Unaib
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
Family Medicine Academy, Qassim Health Cluster, Buraydah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
J Med Access. 2023 Jun 19;7:27550834231181299. doi: 10.1177/27550834231181299. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.
Technology is instrumental in delivering health services, especially telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aimed to explore the role of telehealth as a public health approach to support responses to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. We developed this article by mapping existing telehealth initiatives developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. The initiatives were identified searching online portals such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and websites of various governmental and non-governmental agencies. The services are categorized into teleconsultation and follow-ups, online vaccine registration, information dissemination, high-risk subset tracking, virtual Health Care Worker (HCW) and medical student training, and tele-psychological counseling. The teleconsultation category offers online registration and follow-ups. Information dissemination services include federal helpline, SMS alerts, and social media campaigns. The high-risk subset tracking services include app-based COVID-19 checks and online surveys. Virtual HCW and medical student training services include tele-ICU support, COVID-19 critical care courses, and COVID management courses. The tele-psychological counseling services offer helplines for emotional support, proactive counseling for COVID-19 patients, and mental health support and psychiatry services. Telehealth interventions provided novel solutions amid health and social crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care systems need to expand telehealth services and ensure that health care organizations deliver effective and safe medical care. However, future research should focus on assessing the impact of telehealth on population health.
技术在提供医疗服务方面发挥着重要作用，尤其是在新冠疫情期间的远程医疗。本文旨在探讨远程医疗作为一种公共卫生方法在支持巴基斯坦应对新冠疫情方面所起的作用。我们通过梳理巴基斯坦在新冠疫情期间制定和实施的现有远程医疗举措来撰写本文。这些举措是通过搜索在线平台（如谷歌学术、PubMed）以及各政府和非政府机构的网站来确定的。这些服务分为远程会诊及随访、在线疫苗登记、信息传播、高风险人群追踪、虚拟医护人员和医学生培训以及远程心理咨询。远程会诊类别提供在线登记和随访。信息传播服务包括联邦求助热线、短信提醒和社交媒体宣传活动。高风险人群追踪服务包括基于应用程序的新冠病毒检测和在线调查。虚拟医护人员和医学生培训服务包括远程重症监护病房支持、新冠重症护理课程和新冠管理课程。远程心理咨询服务提供情感支持热线、为新冠患者提供主动咨询以及心理健康支持和精神病学服务。远程医疗干预在诸如新冠疫情这样的健康和社会危机中提供了新的解决方案。医疗系统需要扩大远程医疗服务，并确保医疗机构提供有效且安全的医疗服务。然而，未来的研究应侧重于评估远程医疗对人群健康的影响。
