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Saturday, Feb 22, 2025
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Online consults pick up pace among rural patients
About 45,000 patients have attended follow-up consultation sessions online since the Hospital Authority launched a remote medical service for non-urgent patients in the first half of 2020.
More than half were Covid patients who received consultation online and medicine through delivery services from July, instead of going to clinics in person.
The authority also worked with elderly care centers in providing remote outreach medical services to seniors who have difficulty walking.
Chief manager (cluster performance) Michael Wong Lap-gate said the authority launched a pilot scheme in August, with NGOs and the rural committee in Tai O to provide online consultation to those living in remote areas.
But the pilot scheme is on a selection and voluntary basis, he said.
Doctors would invite those who were suitable for remote consultation - including patients with chronic diseases and those in stable condition and do not need a check-up.
"We have provided remote medical services to thousands of patients over the past two years and we had received positive feedback from these patients," Wong said. "They are no longer required to come to the hospitals and can stay in places they feel comfortable, such as their homes."
A woman in her 80s, surnamed Luk, was the first beneficiary of the scheme. Luk, who lives in Tai O, had to go to North Lantau Hospital in Tung Chung for follow-up consultations regularly. She had to wait for her family members to take her to hospital.
But with the remote consultation, Luk only needed to walk to the Tai O Rural Committee office and have the follow-up consultation session online with the help of rural committee staff.
In further steps to expand the scheme, Wong said the authority has been negotiating with rural committees in other remote areas, such as Mui Wo.
The authority's chief medical informatics officer, Joanna Pang Yuk-wa, said the follow-up consultation can be done on the authority's HA Go app.
"Patients can make appointments through the app. When they are to receive a consultation, after our staff check their identities, patients will receive a link to the video conference with our doctors," Pang said.
The authority is also planning to launch an instant doctor referral through video conferencing.
The authority also worked with elderly care centers in providing remote outreach medical services to seniors who have difficulty walking.
Chief manager (cluster performance) Michael Wong Lap-gate said the authority launched a pilot scheme in August, with NGOs and the rural committee in Tai O to provide online consultation to those living in remote areas.
But the pilot scheme is on a selection and voluntary basis, he said.
Doctors would invite those who were suitable for remote consultation - including patients with chronic diseases and those in stable condition and do not need a check-up.
"We have provided remote medical services to thousands of patients over the past two years and we had received positive feedback from these patients," Wong said. "They are no longer required to come to the hospitals and can stay in places they feel comfortable, such as their homes."
A woman in her 80s, surnamed Luk, was the first beneficiary of the scheme. Luk, who lives in Tai O, had to go to North Lantau Hospital in Tung Chung for follow-up consultations regularly. She had to wait for her family members to take her to hospital.
But with the remote consultation, Luk only needed to walk to the Tai O Rural Committee office and have the follow-up consultation session online with the help of rural committee staff.
In further steps to expand the scheme, Wong said the authority has been negotiating with rural committees in other remote areas, such as Mui Wo.
The authority's chief medical informatics officer, Joanna Pang Yuk-wa, said the follow-up consultation can be done on the authority's HA Go app.
"Patients can make appointments through the app. When they are to receive a consultation, after our staff check their identities, patients will receive a link to the video conference with our doctors," Pang said.
The authority is also planning to launch an instant doctor referral through video conferencing.
