| To the Editor—Outbreaks impose massive burdens on healthcare
systems. For example, >510 deaths were reported among the
healthcare workers (HCWs) during the last Ebola outbreak, and
by February 24, 2020, >3,300 HCWs had been infected with
SARS-Cov-2 in China alone.1,2 This issue represents the essence
of outbreaks—a mass of patients who require prompt medical care.
Under these conditions, the classical healthcare system cannot
manage the large number of COVID-19 patients immediately
and effectively.3
Telehealth provides vital services through the application of
information and communication technologies for each stage of
managing diseases, research, and continuing education.4 With
telecommunication, visits are more economical and preserve
government, community, and family resources, which are already
limited during global outbreaks. It can be used to provide rapid
diagnosis, and it enables caregivers to act quickly.5 With the appropriate
utilization of telecommunication, it is possible bring access
to medicine and concurrent therapy in hard-to-reach regions and
communities, facilitating direct-to-patient or specialty consultation
services from a distance, which is cost-effective and improves
the efficacy of follow-up |