Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, To be used as example in Science and Technology Mains Paper
Why in news?
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 18 2020, recommended switching to virtual patient visits instead of in-person monitoring for clinical studies, as signs emerge that the rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak is disrupting trials.
- The companies said these measures were taken to ensure the safety of the patients being tested and the medical staff.
- The FDA said the outbreak may impact clinical trials of products including drugs and devices, as travel limitations and other considerations cause protocol deviations.
- The restrictions have begun to disrupt the global pharmaceutical industry, as companies cancel public meetings.
Virtual Visits
- Virtual healthcare refers to the “virtual visits” that take place between patients and clinicians via communications technology — the video and audio connectivity that allows “virtual” meetings to occur in real time, from virtually any location.
- A virtual visit can be a videoconference between a doctor and a patient at home.
- It could mean that a patient can interact with an offsite medical specialist via a high-definition conference hook-up at his or her local clinic, instead of traveling to another city.
- It can also give patients the chance to more readily find qualified second opinions online.
