Abstract
Since spring 2020, the wide-ranging contact restriction measures in the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic have also led to a reduction in physician–patient contacts in the ambulatory care setting. Telemedicine applications will increasingly provide a way to efficiently deliver patient care under infection control measures. In allergology, telemedical as well as digital applications can also significantly facilitate everyday clinical practice. However, the technical and legal hurdles associated with the implementation of digital strategies must be overcome for this to happen. The aim of this article is to provide an intuitive overview of the aspects to be considered in the implementation of telemedicine consultations and to highlight the current state of the framework as well as optimization possibilities and perspectives in allergology. If a structured use is guaranteed, digital and telemedical applications can improve patient care—also in allergology. There is potential to be exploited in many areas, from the remote collection of clinical history, and video consultations, to the discussion of diagnostic findings, disease monitoring, and therapy support. The use of telemedical applications, especially video consultations, has experienced a remarkable acceleration in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The present overview of the legal, technical and professional framework is intended to support the anchoring of digital and telemedical technologies in everyday allergology. However, in order to consolidate these in the future, an agreement is needed regarding professional standards of action as well as a remuneration structure that is permanently defined beyond the current pandemic.
Highlights
Gender note For reasons of easier readability, the masculine form of speech is used in this article for personal nouns and pronouns
In spring 2020, the extensive contact restriction measures adopted by the German federal government and many other countries in the context of the SARSCoV-2 pandemic led to a reduction in COVID-19 incidence and in the number of patients requiring inpatient treatment
In order to maintain sufficient, comprehensive patient care in the outpatient setting, even under infection control measures, interest in telemedicine applications increased to a remarkable extent compared with previous years (Fig. 1; [3])
Summary
Gender note For reasons of easier readability, the masculine form of speech is used in this article for personal nouns and pronouns. In order to maintain sufficient, comprehensive patient care in the outpatient setting, even under infection control measures, interest in telemedicine applications increased to a remarkable extent compared with previous years (Fig. 1; [3]). This development was supported by a rapidly growing range of certified technology providers as well as corresponding remuneration incentives and simplifications in the organizational process with the Associations of German Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. An essential prerequisite for the use of telemedicine in Germany was the decision to loosen the ban on exclusively remote treatment at the 121st German Medical Congress [4], even before the start of the SARSCoV-2 pandemic. The aim of this guide is to present the technical and legal prerequisites for successful patient care using video consultations and to explain these on the basis of practical examples in order to support first experiences in telemedicine
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