The delivery of healthcare in Nigeria with a population of over 200 million, remains significantly vulnerable, to challenges of access and affordability [1]. Though, it is critical to mention that, the problems affecting the nation’s health system are numerous and deeply rooted, and affects the strata of the health care structure, the service delivery or both. Nothing less than 60% of the country’s population residing in remote or rural areas are left without access to adequate health services, while residents in urban areas, who on the other hand have more proximity to the healthcare infrastructures, also have to deal with the problem of shortage of healthcare workers that are available to attend to the traffic, while not forgetting the high cost that is incurred from the services.
All these challenges, alongside others, have remained partly affective of the quality of life and life expectancy in the country. However, the Covid-19 pandemic, accelerated a new type of healthcare approach as a partly response to the outbreak of the virus during the pandemic year.Telemedicine, a healthcare approach that utilizes ICT to deliver healthcare, gained traction as one of the innovative way that the health sector had to embrace to deliver healthcare services, as the global lockdown made accessing traditional healthcare structures difficult.In this article, we will explore the contribution of telemedicine and digital health in bridging the gap and improving healthcare outcomes in Nigeria.
Telemedicine as a derivative of digital health, is a solution that utilizes information and communication technology to remotely prevent high disease prevalence, lower healthcare costs, help patients monitor and manage chronic conditions while particularly improving the access to healthcare for all sundry [1]. This technological approach has in over five years stand as a promising opportunity, offering multiple potential way out in addressing Nigeria’s persistent health service challenges.
Telemedicine and digital health offers expanded access to healthcare services, by connecting residents with health services virtually, especially to rural and underserved areas where health facilities are scarce[3]. This undisputed innovationbridges the gap between urban and rural healthcare services.
It also has shown potentials to reduce costs for extensive physical structure while also eliminating the need for travels by patients, providers or both. It also solves the geographical barriers Nigeria has, by availing access to specialized expertise that may not be readily available in the rural or underserved areas [4].
Not to also forget that, the ability for the digital health solution to monitor remotely, gives an edge in early detection and treatment of diseases, thereby reducing the risk of complications and improving health outcomes. Evidence of successes has been recorded in the monitoring and follow-up care of multi-factorial diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and this particularly has relatively alleviated some burdens on outpatient departments. The growth of telemedicine and digital health also provides an angle of new job opportunities for healthcare professionals.
The potential to narrow valuable insights into healthcare trends and outcomes, which enables policymakers and healthcare providers to make informed decisions, is also one of the edge that digital health avails to the nation’s healthcare sector. These diverse applications highlight telemedicine and digital health potential to transform healthcare delivery in Nigeria, and summarily addresses how technological think through can boost the nation’s response to its critical healthcare challenges which results in improved access to quality care [5].
The potential for telemedicine and digital health in Nigeria is innumerable. Several challenges, unfortunately exist, and hinder its smooth adoption and utilization. Inadequate infrastructure, Poor internet connectivity, epileptic power supply, and a gap of technological depth amongst others are obvious challenges to the implementation of telemedicine and digital health in Nigeria.
Introspectively, it cannot be denied that healthcare providers and patients also face high digital literacy challenges, which in turn makes it difficult, for a lot to adapt to this innovative system of healthcare delivery. Another huge problem faced is the resistance to change among healthcare professionals which has further slowed down progress on implementation.
Furthermore, compensation issues, particularly the scarce availability for insurance coverage for telemedicine consultations, present a serious challenge. Most of the health systems lack plans to process telemedicine claims, which exultantly makes it difficult to scale these services. These are the complexity of the issues facing the adoption of digital health solutions in Nigeria, and hence, calls for a multi-dimensional approach in addressing them [6].
To harness the potential of telemedicine and mitigate its implementation challenges, there is an intentional need to establish foothold in multiple areas. Developing a sound policy framework is critical, as is investing in digital infrastructure, such as ensuring access to reliable internet connectivity and power supply.
Availing healthcare professionals with training programs to cultivate digital skills, can also help facilitate the use of digital health. Equally important is the establishment of equitable national privacy laws to prevent data breaches, and foster trust in telemedicine platforms [2].
Encouraging public-private collaborations is another way to help attract investments in key areas of telemedicine and digital health technologies. All the aforemetioned lays the groundwork for a regulatory environment that addresses legal, technical, and nontechnical challenges while enabling seamless integration of telemedicine and digital health into traditional healthcare practices.
In conclusion, telemedicine and digital health offer significant solutions to improving healthcare outcomes Nigeria. However, the challenges posed before it, needs to be addressed to ensure effective adoption and use of the solution. With investment in infrastructure, development of a sound regulatory framework, capacity building and partnership, Nigeria can harness the potential that telemedicine and digital health avails its healthcare system. Don’t forget to stay updated with us at Momentum Healthcare for more resources on telemedicine and digital health.
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