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Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Our little island nation has experienced much trauma in our long history, this last year and a half being no exception. With the devastating Easter Sunday attacks last year and the current COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are dealing with the loss of loved ones and the stress of financial instability. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the government has imposed curfews or severe restrictions on movement. The aftereffects of these actions have challenged Sri Lankans, some of us harder than others. 

Historically, Sri Lanka has not placed enough emphasis on the role of the emotional impact of traumatic events such as these on a person’s psyche. Our system lacks sufficient psychological & psychiatric support for people who’ve lived through traumatic circumstances, be it through the stress of the pandemic, Easter Sunday attacks, the 30 year long civil war that devastated our nation or the abuse happening in our own homes. 

To that end, we’ve compiled a short primer on one of the most prevalent disorders that arise out of such events in the hope that it will prove of worth to help a loved one or your own self. 

What is PTSD? 

People who have lived through a traumatic event can find themselves experiencing emotional challenges long after the event has taken place. 

PTSD can develop after either a single isolated event or more recurring traumatic experiences. 

Not everyone who has undergone a traumatic event is likely to suffer from PTSD. Some may have strong feelings of sadness, stress, helplessness or fear but these symptoms can lessen over time as they continue to heal. However, a person who struggles with PTSD can experience symptoms that continue to cause them significant emotional disturbances and distress. 

Symptoms of PTSD

A person who maybe suffering from PTSD may have 4 main types of difficulties:

  1. Re-living the traumatic event – the person relives the event through recurring nightmares or memories and feels as though the event were happening again. They can have strong physical responses such as increased heart rate, sweating or panic. 
  2. Avoiding reminders of the event – The person actively avoids thoughts, feelings, conversations, even people and places that remind them of the traumatic event. 
  3. Being overly alert – The person may experience sleeping difficulties, irritability, lack of concentration, becoming easily startled and constantly on the lookout for danger. 
  4. Feeling emotionally numb – the person may feel distant from others, a loss of interest in day to day activities and experience difficulty in positive feelings such as happiness or love. 

If these symptoms persist for longer than a month and are not due to medication, substance use or other illness, it is likely that the person is suffering from PTSD.

Coping with PTSD

Many people suffering from PTSD turn to unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol or drug abuse or deliberate self-harm. As such, it is important to seek out a qualified professional to speak with – this may help bring back hope through the sharing of experience and helping learn healthy & effective ways of coping. 

What can I do to help if I see a loved one suffering from PTSD? 

Finding ways to support a loved one with PTSD can be complicated but one of the most helpful things you can do yourself is learn about the symptoms and trials of living with PTSD. Familiarising yourself with what your friend or family member is going through can make it easier for them to have conversations. 

Actively listening to your loved one instead of trying to “fix” their problems is helpful. Just give them a safe space free of judgement and criticism. 

Encouraging your loved ones to seek help from a trained professional is of paramount importance. There are also many online support groups in Sri Lanka (links below) that can help your loved one connect with others who may be going through similar traumatic experiences. 

What does PTSD look like in children? 

Adults are not the only ones to suffer from PTSD and given the recent cases of child abuse in the news with perhaps countless cases happening behind closed doors, it is useful to understand how we can determine whether a child is suffering from PTSD. Symptoms vary depending on age as described below. 

Preschool/Kindergarten

  • Cry or scream a lot
  • Eat poorly due to loss of appetite
  • Experience nightmares of night terrors
  • Overwhelming fear of being separated from parent or caregiver

School age

  • Have a hard time concentrating at school
  • Experience insomnia or nightmares
  • Have feelings of guilt or shame
  • Very anxious or fearful in certain situations

Teens

  • Eat poorly
  • Self-harm
  • Feels depressed or alone 
  • Takes alcohol or drugs
  • Engage in risky sexual behavior
  • Make impulsive dangerous decisions

How can we help children suffering from PTSD? 

Try to keep your child’s schedules and lives as similar as possible to before the traumatic event. This might mean having your child continue with school and other activities with little time off in the beginning. 

Let them talk about the traumatic experience when and if they feel ready. Encouragement and praise helps them talk about their feelings but be careful not to force the issue if they don’t feel like sharing. If not through speaking, drawing and writing may help. 

Validate and reassure them that their feelings are normal. 

Seek out professional help immediately if you have any concern that a child has thoughts of self-harm. Thoughts of suicide are serious at any age and should be treated right away.

Build their self-confidence by encouraging them to make everyday decisions where appropriate. Children suffering with PTSD can feel powerless and helpless, so making decisions, however minor, can help them get control over some parts of their lives. 

Tell them that the traumatic incident is not their fault. They can talk about their feelings of guilt or shame but don’t let them blame themselves. 

Stay in touch with caregivers. It’s important to talk to teachers, babysitters, and other people who are involved in your child’s life.

Resources & References

Sri Lankan Resources

You can get in touch with medical professionals on the oDoc app who are trained to help people suffering from PTSD. You can even purchase an oMind subscription package which gives you unlimited access to mental health professionals. 

http://www.pulse.lk/everythingelse/psychological-support-sri-lanka/

http://marcelderoos.com

http://www.themorning.lk/the-ohana-project-leaving-no-one-behind/

Information

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety/ptsd

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/ptsd.html

https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-ptsd-2797638

Online Support Groups

https://www.reddit.com/r/ptsd

https://www.myptsd.com

https://www.7cups.com

https://www.betterhelp.com

PTSD Blogs

http://www.healmyptsd.com

https://psychcentral.com/disorders/ptsd/

https://ptsdblogger.com

Mindfulness Apps

https://www.developgoodhabits.com/best-mindfulness-apps/

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Breaking out of the cycle of anxiety

Breaking out of the cycle of anxiety

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Sudden heaviness in the chest, an unsettled feeling you can’t place, your heart beating over time and you feel frozen in the moment. Hands start to clam up, your gut feels funny and breathing becomes short and shallow. 

For over 280 million people around the world suffering from an anxiety related disorder, this is often a reality. Triggered by a sound, a photograph, a smell, a memory – the options that revert our bodies back to the ancient fight or flight mode are endless.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined by the American Psychological Association as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” Normal feelings of anxiety are common given the complex situations we find ourselves in however it is important to identify the difference between regular anxiety and an anxiety disorder to seek the help we need.

Anxiety is an important emotion to keep us safe from harmful situations – since the ancient days, when our ancestors encountered a dangerous situation, e.g. a sabre-tooth tiger, an internal danger alarm has been triggered. The alarm releases a rush of the hormone adrenaline in the brain and adrenaline’s main task is to facilitate the “flight or fight response” against the impending threat. 

Noticeable signs of the flight or fight response is an elevated heartbeat, sweating and increased sensitivity to surroundings. Blood is diverted away from processes such as digestion towards the muscles of the limbs to allow the body to flee the situation if needed.

The limbic system

The limbic system is a group of brain structures (i.e. hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus) that work to elicit our behavioral and emotional responses, in particular those we’ve required for survival from ancient times (i.e. eating, sleeping, taking care of our young, staying alive).

When our eyes see danger, they send information to the amygdala which is responsible for emotional processing. The amygdala processes the information and if there is perceived danger, it sends a signal to the hypothalamus (or the command centre). The hypothalamus communicates with the rest of the body by releasing hormones that affect the autonomic nervous system. It can either push gas to the pedal via the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system OR it can press the brakes via the parasympathetic branch. When sensing danger, its gas to the pedal via release of adrenaline (hormone) to trigger the flight or fight response to give the body enough energy to flee the danger. 

All this feels like: increased heart rate, more blood to muscles, heart and other vital organs, higher blood pressure, quicker breaths to allow more oxygen uptake, senses become sharper. And all this can happen in a second which is why before you’ve even truly clocked onto the car that’s coming at you, you’ve already jumped out of its way.

When does it become a problem?

So whilst the limbic system controlled flight or fight response may no longer be required to flee from predators, sustained exposure to modern day stressors like traffic jams, work pressure or family issues could cause the stress response to overfire and result in an anxiety disorder. 

As a result, some people become stuck in a cycle of stress which they are unable to break leading to chronic stress. Chronic stress or anxiety results in elevated levels of certain hormones that can harm the body in the long run. 

5 tips to break the cycle

As the limbic system reflex is so quick that we suddenly feel all the reactions in our bodies before we even know what’s happened, it’s important to rely on the basics to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (“PNS” or the brakes) which literally calms your body. The focus is on activating the vagus nerve (one of the main nerves of the body and part of the PNS) which has an effect on the breath, heart rate and digestive system and vice versa.

Here are five tips that are known to help calm the brain during episodes of anxiety:

1. Take deep breaths

Given the shallow breathing that’s associated with anxiety, taking the time to focus on taking deep breaths allows the body to stop the sympathetic nervous system in its tracks. This pause two fold benefits: 1) deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and 2) focussing on the breath allows the mind to hone in on a repetitive soothing pattern. 

Close your eyes if possible. Inhale for a count of 3, opening up your rib cage as the air flows in (like its a balloon), hold the breath for a count of 3 and slowly exhale through the nose for a count of 3.

Can be done anywhere you feel anxiety is being triggered: in the car, in the middle of a meeting or whilst shopping. 

 

2. Hum or sing to yourself (or to others!)

As the vagus nerve is connected to your larynx (or vocal chords) and the muscles of your throat, the gentle vibrations associated with humming activates these muscles and stimulates the nerve. Humming also forces you to control your breath and we know how much this helps!

 

3. Exercise

Physical activity is important for a myriad of reasons and helping you break the stress cycle is just one of the many. Exercise releases our happy hormones, or endorphins which counteract the effect of elevated adrenaline in the body. Physically moving the body allows for the dissipation of the built up tension in the muscles but also forces the body to breath deeply. 


4. Journal

Making your mind stop and take notice of the present helps it re-evaluate the threat level (and often realise, there’s nothing around to truly trigger this response). However, if there is something that is triggering the response, journaling also helps provide perspective to yourself. 

Take a note pad, a piece of paper or even your phone and write out everything you are feeling and thinking. Continue till you have written it all out. The act of writing takes our thoughts out of our mind and acts as a form of release. 


5. Speak to someone

Counsellors and psychologists are trained to help us decipher our thoughts, patterns and behaviours in a way that’s not possible alone. They provide perspective, ask questions and customise activities to help us break out of cycles that are causing us harm. 

With oDoc you can speak to a certified counsellor, psychologist or mental health professional from the safety and privacy of your own home via our app. 

2020 has been a year that has thrown most of our plans in the year, created numerous situations that could trigger anxiety and as such, what you feel is perfectly okay. You are, after all, human. Having to continue to suffer under the hand of an invisible threat is not the best way to live your life. Take hold of these ideas, speak to a professional and take control of your mind, body and your life! We are rooting for you!

 

Sources

The Limbic System, Queensland Brain Institute  

Understanding the Stress Response, Harvard Health Publishing

Calming Your Brain During Conflict, Harvard Business Review

This Might be the Simplest Scientific Way to Get Rid of Stress You’ve Ever Heard Of, Inc Publishing

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oDoc is an app which connects you with doctors for video, audio and text consultations over your phone.

It allows you to book over 600 SLMC registered GPs and specialists, obtain medical advice, receive a prescription (if medically required) and get your medication delivered. If lab tests are required, you could even order a mobile lab to your home or office.

This means, the next time you are sick or need to speak to a doctor, you can do this without wasting time and money in traffic, waiting rooms and queues.

Virtusa provides you and your family with the benefit of free consultations from doctors across a range of specialities through your oDoc subscription. Consult doctors via video, audio, and text absolutely free.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!


If you have an android phone, visit the play store to download the oDoc app.

For iphones visit the app store to download the app.

Once you download the app, follow the simple registration process.

Once you register – You can then, search for the doctor using the search bar or scroll through the page to find your doctor.

Tap the profile to view the doctor’s details.

Book the visit and share notes with the doctor in advance using our chat screen.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!


The chances are, if you ask one of your doctor friends whether they treat their close family and friends over the phone, the answer would be “yes”.

oDoc is a way that lets us all have access to high quality care just as conveniently.

Phone consultations are very much like the doctor consultations you have experienced already.

Your doctor would ask you your age, allergies and previous conditions.

You would then discuss the symptoms you have been experiencing, for how long and whether those symptoms are getting better or worse.

In the event the doctor feels they don’t have the information necessary to treat you, they will inform you that a physical examination is required and to visit a doctor at a clinic or hospital.

Doctors are not in any way incentivised to somehow make a diagnosis on oDoc, as doctors receive the same fee from oDoc that they would for a physical visit on oDoc regardless of whether a diagnosis is made or not.

The American Medical Association has found that nearly 75% of regular doctor visits can be handled effectively through video or audio consultations.

In fact, in a meta-analysis in of over 90 peer-reviewed clinical trials conducted by Cochrane – a leading global collective of medical researchers – telemedicine was found to be effective or similar outcomes as face-to-face visit.

This form of healthcare delivery has gained global acceptance and is in wide use in countries including the US, the UK, India, Indonesia, the UAE and Rwanda.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!


The most common conditions that doctors treats over telemedicine platforms like oDoc would be a cold, flu, sinus, digestion, paediatric illnesses, skin conditions, advice on dietary & nutrition-related queries, advice on pain management, advice on women’s health issues, sexual health issues and mental health issues.

A video consultation is also a good platform to obtain second opinions, conduct follow up consultations, evaluate lab results and get advice general health-related queries.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!


All prescriptions issued on oDoc are issued by SLMC registered doctors.

These are issued through a secure password protected account unique to each doctor.

Each prescription clearly identifies the doctor issuing the prescription and carries the name, SLMC registration number, seal and signature of that doctor.

The name of the patient is clearly identified and the specific medicines prescribed to the patient is in an easy to read type-written form.

Further, the doctor explicitly states that by this prescription issued in writing, that the doctor intends and authorises for the medicines listed in the document to be dispensed for use by the named patient.

Through these features, the prescriptions issued on oDoc are valid prescriptions under the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, No. 05 of 2015, the Regulations issued under the Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Act, No. 27 of 1980 (as published in the Extraordinary Government Gazette No. 378/3 of 02 December 1985) and the Electronic Transactions Act, No. 19 of 2006, as amended.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!

You, your spouse and children are covered by your oDoc subscription provided by Virtusa. You can cover up to 3 of these family members under your subscription.

What this means is that, all of you get unlimited free video, audio and text doctor consultations with GPs and specialists on the oDoc app. There will be no per consultation fees, be it doctor fees, channelling fees or oDoc fees for these doctor consultations.

Coverage also brings you a host of other benefits, like access to medicine delivery and mobile lab services.

Please note that terms and conditions apply, and for any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call +94 77 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!

Virtusa provides you and your family with the benefit of free consultations with doctors across all specialities.

This includes video, audio and text doctor consultations for you and your covered family members.

To add your family members, simply call oDoc customer care on 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time and we’ll get you all signed up.

All Virtusa policyholders are eligible for free unlimited GP and specialist consultations on oDoc and many other benefits including:

  • Free unlimited consultations
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Please note that terms and conditions apply and some benefits are time-sensitive. For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!

All the over 400 doctors on the oDoc app are Sri Lankan SLMC registered doctors. All the doctors on the platform have at least 5 years of experience.

There are over 200 specialists practicing on the oDoc app covering over 40 specialisations. These include paediatrics, gynaecology, dermatology, psychiatry and sexual health. All the specialists listed on the app are either board certified or meet the criteria mandated by the SLMC to be identified as a specialist. Specialists on the oDoc app have over 10, 15 or 20 years experience.

The doctors available to be consulted over oDoc are the same doctors you would meet at major public and private hospitals in the country.

For any further information, please visit www.odoc.life, call 077 077 3333 or email info@odoc.life at any time. My colleagues and I are always ready to help!


The oDoc service is available 24*7. You can consult our on-demand GP visible right at the top of the home page within 3 minutes at any time of the day.

The over 400 GPs and specialists on the oDoc app can choose to either be available within minutes for on-demand consultations, or at specific times during the week for pre-scheduled appointments. You can select your doctor, select the time available that is convenient to you, and the doctor will call you back for your consultation at the scheduled time.


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Connecting low-income earners in Southeast Asia to doctors through mobile-based telemedicine services

A Risk-Free Diagnosis

COVID-19 brought us a lot of challenges we’ve had to overcome. Businesses and industries are struggling to find ways to continue operating while adjusting to the ‘new normal’. However, where there are challenges, there is also innovation and opportunity. With conventional ways to conduct business challenged, interest in digital platforms for business has increasingly grown, with many new enterprises taking advantage of this ‘step forward’. It has also allowed existing platforms to take centre stage and provide their services to aid the public in these trying times. 

One major issue that has arisen from the ongoing pandemic is the challenge of getting decent medical care without being at risk of contracting COVID-19. Although the pandemic is the largest medical concern in the country at the moment, it doesn’t mean that it is the only disease that requires people to seek medical treatment. 

However, because of how potent COVID-19 is in spreading when people gather together, many are now afraid to seek medical consultation for illnesses they have in fear of being exposed to the virus. 

Doctors are also at high risk of being exposed to the virus, which brings a significant health risk to their lives and families. Getting medical help and consultation when needed in areas that are under lockdown could be problematic as well, because of the restrictions and regulations in place. 

Just as many other occasions, technology has given us the solution to navigate around many of these complications and problems we face today. 

Telemedicine 

In a basic sense, telemedicine is when patients consult doctors and get clinical services without meeting face-to-face. Calling the doctor to get some medical advice can be considered a form of telemedicine in this sense. 

Even though telemedicine has only been prevalent in Sri Lanka in a primitive manner, the concept has been taken to greater heights in many countries around the world. The advent of broadband internet, 4G and now 5G continue to help scientists and medical technology developers push the envelope on what we can do within the medical world, including telemedicine. 

Such technology has become more relevant than it has ever been before thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

oDoc 

Would you be surprised to know that telemedicine has already made its way to Sri Lanka in a more polished and refined package than it was before? 

oDoc is one such telemedicine platform that began its operations in 2017 and has been steadily growing. The service connects doctors and patients who use it by enabling them to connect with each other using modern technology and an internet connection. This means you can get the medical attention you need without having to step out of your home, to deal with waiting in lines, exposing yourself to other diseases, and the other hassles that come alongside appointments with a doctor. 

In the present, using the oDoc mobile application gives you the opportunity to consult with a doctor in three minutes or less (a service available all 24 hours a day), and lays claim to a network of over 400 medical professionals, ranging from general practitioners to paediatricians and even psychiatrists. oDoc ensures that all their doctors are registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and have over five years of experience practicing medicine. 

oDoc doesn’t limit itself only to medical consultation. It also provides electronic prescriptions and even has your medicine delivered to your home, if that is your wish. 

Although these services are available in Sri Lanka already, the concept of a telemedicine platform may be new to many in Sri Lanka. There might also be misconceptions about its efficacy and capability in treating patients when compared to the more traditional face-to-face consultation. Even doctors might feel apprehensive of utilising telemedicine because of various circumstances. 

Nevertheless, telemedicine services such as oDoc can play a major role in providing the medical care people need without the risk of contracting COVID-19. 

Ceylon Today had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Sabith Salieh who has been using oDoc to learn more about how telemedicine services such as oDoc can assist in providing the basic healthcare.

Discovering oDoc 

Dr. Salieh has been practicing medicine for over 13 years, with11 of them spent in Singapore. After returning to Sri Lanka in 2017, he was introduced to oDoc through a friend who was one of the co-founders of the platform and was interested in the concept of telemedicine and its impact in the field of primary medicine (basic medical care from general physicians). Since then, he has continued to use oDoc as a platform to connect with patients and provide value-added medical care for his patients. Dr. Salieh had this to say about his view on telemedicine and oDoc. 

“Telemedicine is something that has changed with the advancement of mobile technology quite a bit. I believe it will revolutionise primary healthcare.” 

He then continued to explain why he believes so. 

All about convenience 

“Today, everything is about consumer convenience. With the busy lives we live today, people don’t have the time to go to a clinic, wait in line and see the doctor. You’re basically putting your life on hold during that time. That entire process can take more than an hour or two out of your day. People have things to do! It’s inconvenient as well, especially if they are not well and are having a rough time. What telemedicine platforms such as oDoc does is cut away all that unnecessarily wasted time and inconvenience, letting you get access to a doctor with only a few clicks or taps on a screen. You can even have your prescription delivered to your home.” 

Needless to say, a platform such as oDoc truly shows its value during this ongoing pandemic. 

”Definitely,” Dr. Salieh confirmed. “COVID-19 was a catalyst to the already growing user-base for oDoc. This pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns really showed how useful telemedicine can be.” 

Slow adoption due to misconceptions 

Convenient as telemedicine may be, it’s evident that the adoption of the technology isn’t at the rate many would expect of a service that promises such convenience. 

“There is still the misconception that to get a proper diagnosis, you have to physically be in a clinic and that the doctor cannot come up with a diagnosis otherwise. However, if you look at the statistics from the world, results will say otherwise.” 

Dr. Salieh explained that in fact, the only difference between a visit to the clinic and using telemedicine platforms such as oDoc is that the doctor cannot do preliminary inspections such as checking the pulse, feeling the abdomen or listening to the heart and lungs using the stethoscope. 

Although at first it may seem to be a disadvantage, Dr. Salieh told us that with proper doctor-patient communication and knowing the medical history of the patient, a physician can still provide decent medical care to a great extent. 

Using oDoc 

After going through the user interface of oDoc, we found the oDoc mobile application which is available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store intuitive, fluid and overall well developed. It’s user-friendly, meaning that if you are new to the service, there is plenty of guidance to help you figure things out. 

Dr. Salieh told us more about his experience as a doctor when adapting to telemedicine. 

”I learnt about telemedicine in my years as a medical student, but telemedicine is something I only started to adopt once I was here in Sri Lanka. It was something that was new to me. But as doctors we have to continuously evolve and I wanted to see how I could make it a part of my consulting.” 

Dr. Salieh told us that he was not alone in that learning curve. Alongside his personal efforts to learn and adapt to telemedicine through his own efforts, he was supported by the oDoc team and their careful guidance and advice in making the transition. 

”I read up about it and the oDoc team did very well in explaining the system, clarified my questions and guided me to learn the system and how it works. They had done all the groundwork needed and kept improving their system regularly based on input by the doctors who were using oDoc. The team was very focused on making sure that patient safety was given the utmost importance.” 

Replacement or enhancement? 

If telemedicine does become ‘the new norm’ in healthcare, we could see a future where we don’t have to worry about waiting in lines to get a medical consultation, fitting doctor’s appointments in our busy schedules or even worry about falling ill and being unable to find basic medical advice while overseas. In fact, all these are now realities with telemedicine platforms.

It has even become an effective way to curb the pressure on doctors to ‘speedrun’ their consultations because of patients waiting in line for their turn.

With so many benefits from telemedicine continuing to become more relevant each day, the question arises if this is the future of healthcare. Would telemedicine continue to evolve until it comes to a point where we no longer need to consult a doctor face-to-face? Dr. Salieh helped us come to an answer.

“When it comes to primary medicine, if you look at what we treat; flu, viral infections, diarrhoea, food poisoning, headaches, migraines – these can be easily treated through telemedicine. If further tests are needed, all the patient needs is to get them done and upload the results into the system and we can have a follow-up. Whenever a doctor ever feels a physical examination is needed, he can refer them to a face-to-face consultation without additional cost for the patient using oDoc.

“As for patients with health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, who require regular follow-ups, all they need to do is get the necessary tests done, upload it to the system and I can consult with them without the patient ever needing to ever step inside the clinic. The patient and the doctor can properly communicate and have their regular follow-ups without the pressure of having to treat the next patient in line. Also, both the doctor and patient can communicate and maintain a continuous providing of care without the limitation of a clinic through a professional, secure platform.”

Essentially, all this means is that telemedicine platforms such as oDoc provide a unique facility where patient-doctor communication is enhanced, while addressing many of the constraints of our traditional consultation model in clinics. Like in many instances where technology comes into play, telemedicine services such as oDoc provide the capacity to enhance the doctor-patient connection.

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