Telerheumatology and its interplay with patient-initiated care

Excerpt

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an era of rapid digitalization of medicine, ranging from Teleconsultations amid widespread lockdowns, to remote monitoring using smartphone apps, wearables, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) [1]. Bioinformatics approaches to analyze time stamped and geo-sensed tweets and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have led researchers to predict the occurrence of local outbreaks for timely action and resource mobilization [2, 3]. The rapid shifts have only led researchers and data scientists all the more excited to see the massive emerging databank for AI-based analysis and automation of healthcare systems. These data banks may also support the vision for precision medicine-driven individualized healthcare. …