Using Emerging Telehealth Technology as a Future Model in Vietnam During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Practical Experience From Phutho General Hospital

Abstract

Telehealth has emerged as a model of modern technology for health care services in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. To actively prevent the outbreak of COVID-19 by using a national digital transformation program, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health launched project 2628/Quyet dinh-Bo y te, which approved a scheme for remote medical examinations and treatments for 2020 to 2025. The project aims to connect 1000 hospitals to strengthen the quality of medical services by using the expertise of central hospitals to support rural areas via provincial hospitals. Phutho General Hospital (PGH) is one of leading provincial hospitals that participated in and applied the early telehealth systems in Vietnam. By using telehealth systems, PGH can offer valuable support to doctors’ activities by streamlining and facilitating their work. Telehealth was demonstrated to be feasible, acceptable, and effective at PGH in Vietnam, and it resulted in considerable improvements in health care outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated the acceleration and enhancement of telehealth in Vietnam. The success of telehealth in Phutho may be a useful reference for other parts of the world. However, this telehealth system focuses on the connectivity among doctors rather than the connectivity between doctors and patients, which is an area that needs further assessment.

Demand for Mobile Health in Developing Countries During COVID-19: Vietnamese’s Perspectives from Different Age Groups and Health Conditions

“…35 However, in 2021, two studies mentioned that Vietnamese users value patient privacy, but this demand is difficult to achieve with the current technology. 22,30 Our study confirms the demand for privacy in the context of mHealth. Moreover, our study participants also emphasized the convenience of app usage, including the login and registration processes.…”

“…This study also responds to the recommendation for further research about the apps that connect doctors and patients from patients' perspectives. 30 Our study shows that while mHealth services for treatment are demanded more by Gen Y, Generation X, and people with chronic health conditions, all participants are interested in adopting mHealth solutions. Unlike during pre-COVID-19 time, where study recognized the mHealth apps were designed to target vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, 35 future mHealth apps must account for the behaviors and demands of all populations as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts upon them.…”

“…Second, although patient demand in developing countries during COVID-19 has been widely investigated in Central East Asia and South Asia, there are only two studies on digital health in this pandemic situation in Vietnam but from policy-makers and doctors' perspectives. 22,30 However, the literature has underresearched the desiring features from the users perspective in an mHealth application, specifically to mitigate the current COVID-19 pandemic situation in Vietnam. These gaps motivated the authors to choose Vietnam, a country unfamiliar with digital or mobile health, as the new research context.…”

“…For instance, two researchers who concluded that digital health and emerging telehealth technology hold the potential to support Vietnam against the COVID-19 pandemic admitted that their papers came from the perspective of doctors, not residents or patients. 22,30 Third, to build a diversity of mHealth interventions, it is essential to study further mHealth fields, as well as the limited fields that developers believe to be important. Finally, there has been a demand to concentrate on mHealth applications as most of the current interventions studied are based on SMS or phone calling foundations.…”

“…Moreover, during 2018, they also recognize that each mHealth app typically serves a different purpose, such as raising awareness and monitoring health. 30 This development is suitable for the pre-COVID-19 situations because the demand for healthcare services and healthcare information is lesser than the current time. In contrast, most participants in our studies demand a more "one-stop-shop solution" with a strong interest in health indicator measurements, personalized medical advice, and up-to-date content.…”