DAMIAN MCHUGH | Digital medical tools offer wider healthcare access to all in SA

In a digital world where we order everything from food to groceries and fashion through an app, healthcare services have equally progressed to the point where our members can now consult a qualified doctor from the comfort of their home.

It has been impressive to see the expansion of our free medical advice service, available 24/7, into virtual consultations where a doctor can diagnose conditions, prescribe certain medications, and email the prescription to the member’s pharmacy for delivery or collection – seamless treatment for someone who previously would have had to find a way of getting to a doctor to spend a considerable amount of time waiting to be seen.

Just like it has become the norm for healthcare consumers to expect that they can submit claims or access their membership card digitally, it is likely to become their expectation that they are granted digital access to a qualified doctor from anywhere in the country.

Digital technology can help leapfrog challenges surrounding access to care in countries like SA, where large segments of the population cannot afford the transport needed to get to clinics or healthcare facilities. Video and telephonic consultations can solve these challenges, not only by improving access to quality healthcare, but also by helping lower the cost of care so that more healthcare can be delivered to more South Africans for less.

Our digital telehealth platform has also been used to provide tele-triage services to three community healthcare centres (CHCs), particularly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Western Cape and Gauteng – Delft CHC and Symphony Way CHC in Cape Town, and KT Motubatse in Soshanguve. In so doing it was possible to alleviate the burden on the country’s public healthcare system by eliminating long queues and reducing excessive patient loads at clinics.

Since the introduction of the Hello Doctor services and ambassadors at the facilities in August 2022, 40% of all calls received were non-referrals, which translates to less visits to already constrained facilities. Of the total engagements, 10% were referred to a pharmacy for over-the-counter medications and 15.5% were advised to return to the clinic if symptoms persisted. The results highlight the combined power of digital and public-private partnerships to provide care to more South Africans in the least amount of time, at a fraction of the cost.

Health and wellness data is also now more readily available than ever before, and digital apps and devices are delivering health to people’s fingertips by empowering them to manage their own health and wellbeing.

With the advent and growth of digital platforms to enable transacting, it is possible for individuals and medical schemes to manage the funding, administration, and servicing of healthcare online.

There are challenges in SA that hinder more rapid adoption. The availability of technology and lack of internet access in many areas, along with the ongoing rolling blackouts, is preventing more widespread use of digital healthcare capabilities.

Legislation is also behind the curve. As an example, the Medical Schemes Act was passed in 1998 and needs to be updated to ensure that it is meeting modern demands and addressing key challenges to better enable digital health.

The good news is that the healthcare industry, both private and public, has demonstrated that it is reviewing and taking into consideration how technology can facilitate the future of healthcare, while individuals are showing a willingness to embrace technology to manage their health. With the solid foundation created, our belief is that we will continue to see the positive impact as the use of digital tools in healthcare grows. 

McHugh is an executive at Momentum Health Solutions.