Hospitals Teleconsultation is only for suitable patients
We refer to Mr Dinesh Subramaniam's letter, "Do more to avoid unnecessary trips to hospital by the elderly" (Sept 8).

Telemedicine services such as video and phone consultations were introduced at National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) in February last year, to enable patients to continue with their care with NHCS remotely during the Covid-19 outbreak. More than 1,500 teleconsultations have been conducted to date.

While teleconsultation is convenient, it may not be suitable for all patients, especially those with complex medical conditions or those who are visiting the doctor for the first time, as physical examination and further investigation tests may be required.

To ensure patient safety and standards of care, our doctors will review patients' medical conditions and history, literacy and ability to use technology before offering the option of teleconsultation. Currently, teleconsultation is offered to patients with stable heart conditions.

The recent visit that Mr Dinesh's father came for was his first consultation with another heart specialist to evaluate a specific heart condition.

Given that the patient has complex medical conditions, an in-person consultation was deemed necessary to allow the doctor to assess the patient clinically, as it could not be attained via a teleconsultation.

We thank Mr Dinesh for his feedback, and wish to assure him that we will continue to offer suitable patients the option of teleconsultations so that they can continue to receive care remotely in a safe and efficient manner.

Terrance Chua (Professor)
Medical Director and Senior Consultant
Department of Cardiology
National Heart Centre Singapore

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-teleconsultation-is-only-for-suitable-patients

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