PHC vignette | The reciprocal dynamics of telemedicine: from contact to care

Percept | January 2024

The PRO-Active TElemedicine TaCTical OpeRation (PROTECTOR) project was a telehealth study initiated in Hanover Park in the Western Cape in 2021. Its goal was to understand if telemedicine could be used as part of routine primary healthcare to support at-risk diabetic patients who were struggling to control their sugar levels.

Over the course of three months, pre-selected diabetic patients participated in 10-20 telephonic or virtual engagements with a telemedicine doctor. Besides monitoring blood glucose levels and offering psychosocial and health support, the programme facilitated meaningful reciprocal relationships between patients and doctors, and rendered largely positive health outcomes.

In healthcare sectors, it is often said that favourable outcomes are dependent on patients ‘demonstrating autonomy’ and ‘taking responsibility for themselves’. But how does one take responsibility when a diagnosis or its implications are not understood? How does one demonstrate autonomy when there isn’t an informed foundation to start from, or someone to ask, who could check up and lend support, discuss options, or clarify assumptions? Where does one begin to understand the principles of glycaemic control, biometric readings, or the impact of medication or lifestyle choice on those metrics?

Read the Primary Healthcare (PHC) vignette on “The reciprocal dynamics of telemedicine: from contact to care” below.