Uniformity, training, guidelines and investments. These are the four watchwords for the implementation in Italy of telemedicine and remote assistance of patients in the rheumatology field. This is what has been stated in recent days by Giuseppe Petrella, president of the Commission for the innovation and digitization of health services of the Ministry of Health. The statement came during the webinar “Digitization for rheumatology patients, where are we and where do we want to go?” organized by ANMAR Onlus – National Association of Rheumatic Patients, created with the unconditional contribution of Bristol Myers Squibb.
“Covid-19 highlighted how it is necessary to rely on new digital technologies – added Petrella. However, more investments are needed in this sector because currently, for digital health, we spend only 22 euros per capita compared to 40 in France, 60 in the United Kingdom and 70 in Denmark. The training of the medical-nursing staff must then be improved, who must know all the new digital methods of assistance. The dissemination of innovation must also take place through the issue of specific guidelines for specialists, general practitioners, patients and caregivers “.
“Several telemedicine platforms are currently active in rheumatology – he continued Silvia Tonolo, president of ANMAR. However, in such a complex and delicate context, for the national health system, it is not possible to work in sealed compartments. The primary objective must be to standardize the various platforms and ensure that they “speak” the same language. This is what we are achieving as ANMAR with the “Smart Share Cards” project launched in recent months. The interoperability of the platforms is the priority to be achieved in order to launch a true telemedicine also in our country “.
“New technologies can really make our national health service more sustainable – underlined the Honorable Member Massimiliano De Toma, Member X Commission for Productive Activities, Commerce and Tourism of the Chamber. It is an effective tool for implementing primary care and therefore de-hospitalization of the treatments of very common chronic diseases such as rheumatology. In some countries, such as South Korea, this practice has been a reality since before the pandemic. We must work so that even in Italy we can always reach a remote management of the sick “.
“Not all rheumatological diseases are the same and have the same severity – he concludes Mauro Galeazzi, Scientific Director of the Understanding Observatory. However, they are increasingly chronic diseases and therefore require constant monitoring of patients outside the hospital setting. This can also happen thanks to telemedicine which favors the integration between hospital-territorial medicine and home care “.