One of the basic pillars in the diagnosis of an allergic pathology is the clinical history or clinical questioning, which must be carried out in an exhaustive and individualized manner in each particular case, and Telemedicine allows the patient’s clinical history to be taken in the same way as a face-to-face consultation.
Once the case has been oriented through clinical questioning, the Allergist will indicate different tests to identify the exact agents (allergens) that cause reactions in the person. This can be done through skin tests or through laboratory studies, which allow the analysis of specific allergy markers from a blood sample of the patient.
Can an allergic pathology be diagnosed through Telemedicine?
The diagnosis of the allergic pathology that causes the symptoms in the person will be possible by means of an exhaustive clinical history and the identification of the specific agents to which the patient is sensitized.
Through the Telemedicine service it will be possible to establish a complete diagnosis in less complex cases, and in more complex allergic pathologies it will be possible to reduce the number of face-to-face visits to the doctor’s office.
Other advantages of Telemedicine
In addition, telemedicine allows close monitoring of the evolution of patients’ health despite the distance. In this sense, close monitoring of a patient suffering from an allergic pathology is very important at this time.
Why is it important to monitor patients with allergic pathologies at this time?
The pandemic situation due to COVID-19 and the measures adopted to prevent the spread of the virus causing the disease, have generated stress and anxiety in society, both in people who must be confined to protect themselves, as well as in those who have to go to work to cover essential services.
In the case of patients suffering from allergic pathologies such as Rhinitis, Asthma, Dermatitis, Urticaria or Anaphylaxis, stress and anxiety act as agents that can aggravate the symptoms, and this worsening must be assessed by the Specialist who will decide the most appropriate treatment to control the symptoms.
Telemedicine is a tool that makes it possible to provide health services from a distance with the aim of improving people’s health through the use of new technologies.
Although there has been considerable growth in recent years, the use of telemedicine has not yet been internalized as a tool for consulting any health-related question. In fact, in most cases, this tool is only used when it is not possible to access a medical consultation due to geographical difficulties.
However, in these times of confinement, Telemedicine becomes an essential service to maintain contact between the patient and the specialist.
In the field of Allergology, this service is valid both for patients who consult an allergic pathology for the first time and need the opinion of an Allergist, as well as for patients already diagnosed who need a follow-up.
In short, Telemedicine allows us to get closer at a distance at any time and in any situation, and becomes even more important in situations of isolation. Without forgetting that the current situation of isolation caused by COVID-19 will come to an end, and this allows us to focus on something important: the certainty of the temporality of this adverse situation.