Technology has an increasingly predominant impact on medicine. Virtual reality (VR) and remote health and social services now enable more dynamic diagnosis of diseases.
A concrete example is the virtual clinic, a telematic web platform that allows doctors to make “remote visits” and apply the concept of telemedicine. Before understanding, however, what a virtual surgery is, let us start with the traditional one.
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Table of contents
What is a traditional clinic
According to the Treccani Italian encyclopaedia, a medical clinic is «a complex of rooms intended for clinical examinations and the treatment of patients who have not yet been hospitalised». A clinic, therefore, may be part of a hospital or located within private offices.
Now more than ever in a clinic, it is important to observe strict hygiene and health rules, which are laid down in current regulations.
If minor operations or dressings are carried out, medical personnel must sterilise instruments and, if diagnostic machines are present, these must have been approved by the local health authority and comply with accident prevention regulations.
Finally, the waiting room, which more often than not also contains the secretary’s office, must be distinguished from the room where health personnel circulate. Any degree certificates, certificates and agreements with the Italian national health service, especially in private offices, must be shown.
What is a virtual or smart clinic
What happens if we use medical software for visits? It changes the approach and a new philosophy is born: the doctor can literally visit the patient remotely, send him reminders and generally manage practices more intelligently.
Advantages of a virtual clinic
One of the advantages of a virtual clinic is certainly the possibility of carrying out the so-called “ordinary administration”, i.e. those bureaucratic steps that are useful for carrying out the service, in a fast, more functional and convenient manner.
A virtual clinic also enables efficient process management. Everything is entrusted to the VR platform, which gives the doctor the possibility of storing reports and documents without the risk of them being lost; at the same time, the patient does not have to put up with long, interminable waits.
A practice that becomes normality
It is evident how the benefits of a virtual clinic give a greater sense of satisfaction to patients. Indeed, it is an alternative mode of service delivery to the traditional one that can reduce costs, time and energy and improve the lives of doctors and patients.
For more information on virtual clinics, telemedicine and virtual reality applied to healthcare, continue reading the IPPOCRATE AS JOurnal; alternatively, if you are looking for a partner to develop healthcare software, please contact us by filling out the form below. The IPPOCRATE AS team will be happy to answer your questions and share their experience with you.