By Kayode Oshin FCA
Nearly all human endeavors have been impacted by technology.
From Agriculture to Aviation, from Transportation to Communication, no sphere of human activity has been exempted from the positive effect of advances in technology.
To cite a few examples: Shale oil is a better, cheaper and effective alternative to crude oil.
Manual driving will be eventually replaced by driverless electric cars.
A solar powered supersonic jet that can travel from Tokyo to New York has been tested.
Name the field, the impact of innovative technology is far reaching.
Robotic engineering and drone technology have influenced manufacturing processes and production cost and war strategy minimizing cost of airplanes and loss of human pilots respectively are realities of modern times.
Medical field, an important component of mankind existence, has benefited immensely from technological development.
Laser technology has reduced the necessity of general surgeries as body part specific surgeries are being routinely done.
Bloodless surgery can be demanded without risk of death.
Nobody would prefer that these trends be curtailed.
However, medical advancement at least in the developed world, is tilting toward telemedicine.
Proponents of this new initiative are of the opinion that that is the new highway which medical field must follow.
It has been brilliant argued, that the benefits of this invention outweigh any drawbacks if any.
These advocates of telemedicine posit that it is cheaper and accessible to all and sundry.
Rurality of patients or complexity of operation are no brainers as far as telemedicine is concerned.
They say it is the most suitable for epidemics and pandemics especially as the world is witnessing now.
These plusses of telemedicine are simply indisputable.
However, strong and deliberate care must be observed because life and death are involved.
The privacy of medical records and confidentiality of doctor patient relationship guaranteed under the orthodox medical practice may be in jeopardy under telemedicine.
Will telemedicine be priced out of the rich of the common man and how the rural patients will access telemedicine in the absence of power and data and internet access must be critically addressed.
Will telemedicine reduce the employment of doctors while up skilling the teledoctors?
Will telemedicine obviate the need for traditional medical practice or complement it?
Telemedicine must address these phobia in order to ensure a sound footing in the medical practice landscape.
Teething problems will surely arise but telemedicine must be given the benefit of doubt.
Who knows, medical history and practice, may never be the same again if telemedicine is nurtured and supported to thrive.
An idea not tested may not be rightly discarded.
Let's give telemedicine a trial.
Kayode Oshin FCA is a Partner of KCBC Partners currently based in FCT, Abuja, Niger
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