Category

Telehealth

Conducting a remote diabetes consultation in Africa: a how-to guide

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on mindset and practices for healthcare professionals. In many respects, it has accelerated the transition to a more flexible provision of healthcare, particularly in Africa, where access to basic and specialised healthcare remains a challenge. Telemedicine is an effective tool that can be used to expand the reach and most importantly improve the quality of healthcare in Africa in these challenging times. However, conducting a diabetes consultation remotely requires specific skills and knowledge, as it is in many respects more challenging than a face-to-face consultation. Upskilling healthcare professionals to ensure that they are adapting their practice appropriately is key to improving health access with telemedicine.

Nigeria has less than 200 endocrinologists. Here is a way to bridge this gap.

In the wake of the disruption across sectors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an opportunity to use technology to improve on existing processes and better manage chronic diseases in Nigeria, especially for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Dr. Michael A. Olamoyegun from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital writes that telemedicine can play a vital role to help keep track of records and interact with patients without putting them at risk of catching the COVID-19 virus.

Telemedicine in Nigeria: a simple solution for people with diabetes?

Despite the multiplication of telemedicine applications and services and the appetite of investors for a potentially huge market, telehealth and remote consultations in Nigeria are in their infancy: a lot remains to be done to structure, popularise and effectively practice telemedicine.

COVID-19 has acted as an accelerator and many hospitals are in the process of setting up dedicated telemedicine units. But physicians and specialists did not wait. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many have taken on themselves to reach out to patients by phone, messages and -more rarely- video calls, often providing a lifeline to those affected by chronic diseases. However, healthcare professionals are keen to emphasize that not everything can be done remotely, and patients can miss important signs of complications.

During an event organised by Diabetes Africa, participants discussed telemedicine in Nigeria, its potential and its limitations when caring for people with diabetes. There is a case to better document and develop guidance for healthcare professionals, not all of whom are experts in diabetes. Or in telemedicine.