Teleconsultation is being implemented in the Principality during the COVID-19 crisis - How digital technology is enhancing health care

How can essential health services be delivered during a pandemic, which requires human contact to be minimised as far as possible? The solution is inevitably digital... With that in mind, the Prince’s Government took the decision to authorise the use of medical teleconsultations during the crisis period, subject to certain conditions.

Teleconsultation is the tool that will now allow those health professionals who specialise in fields where its use is feasible to get back to work while ensuring their own safety and that of their patients. The principle can be applied to any patient who does not need to be physically examined by the practitioner, making teleconsultation suitable for a very wide range of medical appointments.

For Monegasque nationals and residents, it promises better continuity of care and a partial return to quality treatment during this crisis period. It is a practical, professional and also economic response to the practice of non-COVID medicine, which has currently come to a virtual halt because patients are fearful of going to sit in waiting rooms or do not wish to trouble medical staff.

The Principality is taking action to implement a teleconsultation system. Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG) already has a videoconferencing solution, and the Government is offering a solution to other providers: the Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery (IM2S), the Cardiothoracic Centre and doctors and midwives outside hospitals. To ensure a better service, the Government is centralising and communicating an up-to-date list of the doctors and midwives offering teleconsultation. This list is available from the website www.covid19.mc .

The solution that has been chosen is easy to use and has been tested by many doctors in France. It is certified by the French Digital Health Agency as a tool for managing the COVID-19 crisis. Professionals can be trained in its use in under 20 minutes, and it can be picked up instantly by patients.

It includes an online payment module, a calendar, a videoconferencing tool for the consultation and a module for sending a secure prescription to the patient. Treatment forms are still sent to health insurance providers in the same way. Patients access their teleconsultation via a secure link sent to their email address, which they will need to provide to their doctor or midwife in advance, or to the assistant when making an appointment.

Roll-out of the solution and training for doctors began on Thursday 9 April. The list of health professionals offering teleconsultation is updated daily on www.covid19.mc .

The first consultations have already taken place.

Because it helps to maintain the distancing required to protect doctors while providing care for patients, teleconsultation could become a longer-term solution supporting future plans to lift the lockdown.