DONATETELEMEDICINE
Telemedicine Services at RGCIRC
As new treatment protocols are being developed, more and more Cancer patients are being effectively treated. However, most of these treatments run over several years and patients need to be under clinical supervision for at least five years. During this period, patients living in far remote areas need to frequently travel to consult the doctors even for trivial matters as general physicians don’t have the perquisite clinical expertise to deal with Cancer cases. The cost burden on the patients thus gets multiplied.
Certain visits when active clinical intervention is required are inevitable. However, many visits could be avoided if patients and doctors have a communication channel to schedule a video / audio consultation and doctor can prescribe certain medication or further tests during these sessions.
RGCIRC has been cognizant of this need and has come up with Telemedicine Practice to help patients reduce the travel cost and inconvenience. In future, we also plan to collaborate with local clinics / hospitals that can physically attend to patients and work with our consultants to deliver healthcare at their convenience.
Telemedicine allows Health Care Professionals (Doctors, Primary Care Physician, Nurses…) to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunications technology.
Telemedicine is used mostly to connect doctors working with a patient in one location to specialists somewhere else and delivering remote healthcare to patients in their homes, workplaces or assisted living facilities. It is an alternative to in-person visits for both primary and specialty care.
Telemedicine works very effectively for follow-up visit, Post hospitalization care, chronic disease management, Preventive health management, getting first care in odd timings / weekend..
Telemedicine services should however be avoided for emergency care when alternative in-person care is available, and telemedicine consultation should be limited to first aid, life-saving measure, counseling and advice on referral.
Privacy and Security
Telemedicine service is as secure as in person consultation. All the reports and relevant documents are kept in secure patient file in hospital or in EHR software. All patient records are handled by the authorized personal only with utmost care.
Benefits
- Less time away from work
- No travel expenses or time
- Less interference with child or elder care responsibilities
- Privacy
- No exposure to other potentially contagious patients like COVID-19 infected person
Pre-Requisites
- Desktop / Laptop with webcam, mic and speaker, internet connection with minimum 512 KB speed or Mobile phone with data plan for video conference.
- Uploaded / shared all relevant electronic health record of patients.
- It will be good if patient is ready with list of queries, points to discuss, symptoms, medical reports and other relevant documents to utilize the time effectively before tele-consult.
Patient Consent
Logging in voice conference / video conference by patients or care taker / attendant is deemed to be consent for telemedicine. However, the Institute may ask to confirm your consent by filling an online consent form.
Fee For Telemedicine
The fee at present is at par with in-person consult. However, it may change as per the prevailing policies of the Institute.
Schedule your Telemedicine
If you seek medical help for yourself or for your family and friends, you can schedule a telemedicine today and get medical advice from your doctor without having to step out of the house. Stay close to family and get yourself treated in the comfort of your home. You can use any browser to avail telemedicine services.
Telemedicine services from RGCIRC are available for new and existing patients. You can schedule your appointment with the doctor, wait for the doctor at home and discuss your condition face to face as you would normally do. The doctor will advise you on a further course of action and medication.
You will be required to visit the doctor only if the problem cannot be resolved through the online consultation. Services are available from all departments except the Emergency Services.
Any medical emergency should be dealt with by calling Emergency Services and seeking proper help.
Telemedicine
Using Mobile App “RGCI Care”
Your Mobile phone must have installed RGCIRC Patient mobile App “RGCI CARE” along with Video / Audio Conferencing App “JITSI MEET”. This option can be used either by new patients who need fresh registration or already registered patients.
For more details click here
Using website rgcirc.org
This option is for repeat patients only (the patients who are already registered with the Institute and the basic information about diagnosis, chief complaints, history and any prior treatment etc. has already been captured in the patient file).
Following are the steps to be taken to avail telemedicine facility.
- Login with your credentials. Go to in ‘Appointment Booking’ section, select telemedicine. Make an appointment with the doctor you want to consult with. Then pay for the consultation.
- From the upload documents section, you can upload Lab/Radiology reports obtained from outside RGCI for consultant review.
- Video consultation link will be active in ‘RGCI Care’ app /Web portal in Telemedicine appointment section the moment patient deposits the fee.
- A day before consult, the information is sent to Medical Record Department to send the patient files to telemedicine room
- On the day of the consult, a Telemedicine Coordinator will coordinate with Patient and Consultant to initiate the video call.
- Patient will login in video call and consult with doctor through mobile phone,desktop / laptop using the ‘RGCI care’ app /Web Portal.
- Doctor will look into the reports, treatment history, ask necessary questions and prescribe the medicines and/or further tests.
- Clinician Prescription will be available online in ‘RGCI Care’ app/ Web portal under Prescriptions section after completion of telemedicine call.
