Digital Medical Guidance and its Positive Impact on Health

The origins of telemedicine can be traced back many years and are closely linked to the evolution of telecommunications. The creation of the telegraph in the 19th century, which made long-distance communication possible, facilitated the provision of medical care in military settings. According to existing information, during the American Civil War, the telegraph was used to request medical supplies, report battle casualties, and carry out medical consultations.

Later on, the invention of the telephone and mass access to the telephone network meant that doctors and patients could communicate.

A concept of telemedicine similar to what we know today was first introduced in the April 1924 issue of the Radio News magazine. An illustration in that magazine depicted a machine that allowed patients to communicate with a doctor; the device had a television and a microphone, as well as heartbeat and temperature indicators.

However, telemedicine was not reported to transmit video, images, and complex medical data until the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1959, the University of Nebraska used interactive telemedicine to transmit neurological examinations. This technology was originally developed to connect communities in remote locations with doctors in urban zones.

Radiology was the first medical specialty to fully use telemedicine, for the digital transmission of radiological images. In the 1960s and 1970s, NASA’s research programs helped the progress of telemedicine because astronauts travelled without a doctor.

The internet boom in the 1990s sparked a revolution in telemedicine, including patient education, the transmission of medical images, real-time audio and video consultation, and vital-sign measurement.

Technology currently plays an important role in most sectors and industries, and fortunately, medicine is no exception. Every day, startling advances allow us to provide better health services and reach more people ― regardless of their location or economic background ― so that they can have access to costly treatments.

Technology has made access less expensive, opening up possibilities for a preventive approach that may help solve up to 80 percent of public health problems.

Mexico is among the five OECD countries with the lowest number of consultations per doctor.  This is not due to a lack of doctors but a consequence of poor access to healthcare services related to cost and convenience issues, according to Health at a Glance-OECD Indicators- 2019.

Few people plan and save for the event of future health issues, both for themselves and for their family members. In Mexico, 41 percent of health expenses are out-of-pocket expenses; that is, unexpected expenses that can strain personal and family incomes and cause financial imbalances. This is, to a great extent, a consequence of outdated public health systems that have failed to quickly adapt to new realities.

In this context, it is exciting to launch SuperDocLIP, an innovative medical guidance service available through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, the leading digital platforms, to provide affordable and dignified healthcare services in the form of digital medical consultations.

Instant messaging has seen exponential growth. According to the Federal Telecommunications Institute, WhatsApp has 89 million users in Mexico, so SuperDocLIP offers a technology platform that allows users to contact certified doctors via WhatsApp, decreasing existing frictions and creating a close and connected relationship with patients that could not be achieved previously. 

This type of digital consultation offers medical guidance, certified prescriptions, and direct contact, making it possible to digitize key information to offer preventive services to patients.

Superdoc.mx offers three main services: individual consultations, personal plans, and family plans, including up to three persons, all of them very affordable. Plans cover 30 days and consultations can be carried out via chat or video.

Artificial intelligence and a team of general practitioners graduated from Mexico’s top universities, certified and with a strong commitment to the health of the Mexican people, provide digital healthcare guidance through SuperDocLIP.

Some of the advantages of digital health guidance include:

• Saving time and transportation costs
• Shorter consultation waiting times
• Avoiding busy medical centers
• No need to download special apps
• More affordable than private doctors

The goal of SuperDocLIP is to positively impact the health of millions of people over the age of 12 and remove barriers in the primary care sector. 

Technological innovations with a healthcare focus are undoubtedly a step forward in transforming the lives of many people through digital medical consultations, which will surely continue to amaze us.