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Experts agree: online offerings are one approach to tackling challenges like a shortage of skilled workers and cost pressures in the healthcare industry. “Telemedicine will become increasingly important in the future,” summarizes a research group from the University of Paderborn (D) in their study “The telemedicine market of the future”. Trends such as an aging society and increasingly difficult medical care in structurally weak areas will support this development.
According to a study by the health insurance company Atupri, one in three people in Germany already uses telemedicine services. According to the results of the research, as people are used to using Skype, Zoom and similar platforms on a daily basis (due to Corona among other things), the desire to go through medical consultations digitally has increased. Many would forego a doctor’s visit if they had certain symptoms and instead seek advice over the phone or via video consultation. In particular, medical data can be collected in this way and questioning sensitivities does not necessarily mean going to the family doctor.
Online sleep analysis and treatment
Numerous new offerings have emerged in this area in recent years, from digital platforms to applications with integrated video calling functionality and from automatic symptom checks to sleep analysis. The Swiss company Sleepiz, a spin-off of the well-known Zurich ETH, specializes in the latter. The most important product is a scanning device for detecting obstructive sleep apnea.
This common disease is (very) often underestimated: 800,000 people in Switzerland suffer from sleep apnea. Affected people often snore very heavily and also have to struggle with breathing pauses at night. This makes restorative sleep impossible and causes paralysis of daytime sleepiness. However, the long-term consequences are particularly dangerous – these include high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and depression. Thanks to Sleepiz, it is now possible to analyze sleep at home (see box). A process that previously required an appointment at the sleep lab. “Research shows that results from home screening are as good – or even better – than a physical visit to a sleep lab,” says Jonas Krauss of Sleepiz.
The start-up’s wishes took hold, and Sleepiz soon began expanding its offering. “We studied the sleep of thousands of people in the past year alone and found that our customers had difficulty finding the right treatment after testing and initiating next steps,” Krauss says. “As it is our job to help everyone in Switzerland get a good night’s sleep, we believe this includes advice given after sleep testing and therapy options.”
The entire Sleepiz offer is accessible via phone, video call or form. Sleep screening or consultation: Everything can be easily booked or ordered online. In the case of Sleepiz, this is supported by trained sleep coaches who respond to clients’ needs individually. Other specialists may be recommended if necessary.
More time, more comfort, more sustainability
The advantage: You save time because sometimes there is no need for cumbersome and long journeys due to traffic jams or overcrowded trains – and you don’t have to sit in the waiting room in the middle of coughing patients. In general, comfort increases, as the consultation can be carried out practically on the couch. And meanwhile, you also reduce the ecological footprint.
According to Sleepiz, the drug offering at the click of a mouse is highly admirable. “We got almost nothing but positive feedback,” says Jonas Krauss. And this is despite the fact that most of their customers have not grown with digital technologies. “But most people immediately realize how easy it is to get more help, even if you don’t know the technology. And then we were pleasantly surprised.”
For Jonas Krauss, it’s clear that the future is telemedicine. “You can buy almost anything online today. This makes our lives easier and more efficient – only the healthcare industry is still lagging behind.” However, he believes the various advantages of digital offerings will prevail and “increasingly reach the healthcare industry in the coming years.”
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
