Patients’ Habits and the Role of Pharmacists and Telemedicine as Elements of a Modern Health Care System during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Aims/Introduction: The Polish government introduced the epidemic on 20 March 2020, after The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in January 2020. Patients’ access to specialist clinics and family medicine clinics was limited. In this situation, pharmacists were likely the first option for patient’s health information. On 18 March 2020, the National Health Fund issued modifications that increased the accessibility to primary health care such as telemedicine. The development of e-health in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic included the implementation of electronic medical records (EDM), telemedicine development, e-prescription, and e-referrals implementation. We investigated this emergency’s effect on patients’ health habits, access to healthcare, and attitude to vaccination. Materials and methods: An anonymous study in the form of an electronic and paper questionnaire was conducted in March 2021 among 926 pharmacies patients in Poland. The content of the questionnaire included access to medical care, performing preventive examinations, implementation of e-prescriptions, patient satisfaction with telepathing, pharmaceutical care, and COVID-19 vaccination. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, 456 (49.2%) patients experienced worse access to a doctor. On the other hand, 483 (52.2%) patients did not perform preventive examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half of the patients (45.4% (n = 420)) were not satisfied with the teleconsultation visit to the doctor. A total of 90% (n = 833) of the respondents do not need help in making an appointment with a doctor and buying medications prescribed by a doctor in the form of an e-prescription. In the absence of access to medical consultation, 38.2% (n = 354) of respondents choose the Internet as a source of medical advice. However, in the absence of contact with a doctor, 229 persons (24.7%) who took part in the survey consulted a pharmacist. In addition, 239 persons (25.8%) used pharmacist advice more often during the COVID-19 pandemic than before its outbreak on 12 March 2020. Moreover, 457 (49.4%) respondents are satisfied with the advice provided by pharmacists, and even 439 patients of pharmacies (47.4%) expect an increase in the scope of pharmaceutical care in the future, including medical advice provided by pharmacists. Most of the respondents, 45.6% (n = 422), want to be vaccinated in a hospital or clinic, but at the same time, for a slightly smaller number of people, 44.6% (n = 413), it has no meaning where they are will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Conclusions: Telemedicine is appreciated by patients but also has some limitations. The COVID-19 pandemic is the chance for telemedicine to transform from implementations to a routine healthcare system structure. However, some patients still need face-to-face contact with the doctor or pharmacist. Pharmacists are essential contributors to public health and play an essential role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Integration of pharmaceutical care with public health care and strong growth in the professional group of pharmacists may have optimized patient care.

Factors That Influence the Use of Dietary Supplements among the Students of Wroclaw Medical University in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic impeded access to family doctors and specialists. Dissatisfaction with telemedicine caused patients to search for advice in pharmacies or, what was especially worrisome, on the Internet [ 6 , 17 ]. DS or OTC drugs are available without prescription and may be easily bought on the Internet and delivered directly to the home.…”

“…In most countries, self-isolation at home, online work and learning, social distancing, and closure of educational institutions including universities were ordered. Lockdown made access to the doctors much more difficult [ 17 ] which might have influenced the tendency toward self-medication. However, it is not a new phenomenon [ 18 ] and students often choose OTC drugs, because it saves their time and, very often, the cost of a visit a to a physician [ 19 ].…”

Telemedicine in the National Immunization Program (Brazil): A promising tool

“…Telemedicine is a significant advancement in health care delivery in the 21st century, and was boosted by COVID-19 pandemic in various part of the world [8] , [9] , [10] . Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine had a minimal role in Brazil, with regulations only for exchange of information between health professionals and for second opinions from specialists.…”

Is Telemedicine in Primary Care a Good Option for Polish Patients with Visual Impairments Outside of a Pandemic?

“…In addition, certain groups, including people with disabilities (PwDs), are more likely to face specific barriers in the use of TM, such as insufficient internet infrastructure, the “digital divide”, or the lack of assistive devices. Therefore, with the growing popularity of e-solutions, an urgent need has emerged to better comprehend how TM implementation can best accommodate the needs of people living with disabilities [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”