The impact of COVID-19 has been unlike anything we have previously experienced. If there’s one word that has become the defining description of the times we are living through, it is ‘uncertain’. Fear is based on the unknown, and there’s no question that the global pandemic of 2020 has a great many unknowns.
However, these unknowns are diminishing as health professionals and researchers around the globe learn more about the virus, how it spreads, and how it can be contained. The key to saving more lives lies in effectively disseminating and discussing the latest information, credible research and lessons from around the globe, via a forum of professional, knowledgeable and experienced individuals.
This is why we have created Doctors on Cloud: to enable members of the global healthcare community to connect and collaborate in the fight against COVID-19.
Once signed up to the free and secure platform, you can join discussions in the Forum or start new ones seeking answers to specific questions or general input regarding a COVID-19-related field. Currently, topics include discussions on screening, testing and diagnosis; infection control; the need for PPE; and management and therapies – as well as threads dedicated to distinct healthcare fields, such as considerations for dental professionals when treating patients.
As more individuals contribute research, expertise and insights gleaned from first-hand experience to the Forum, we will be able to identify trends, behaviours and clinical developments to first slow the spread of this coronavirus, and then defeat it.
By sharing what is and what isn’t working, we can help more members of our global community stay safe while saving lives. And what’s more, it’s a great way to grow strong and productive professional relationships with a network of likeminded industry colleagues. When we pool our knowledge, experience and resources we can truly become greater than the sum of our many parts.
We are proud to have been able to launch Doctors on Cloud so promptly during this time of global crisis, but now that we are off the starting blocks with the Forum, we have our sights set on launching two additional services that will complete the three core layers of what we do. In the coming weeks, Doctors on Cloud will offer a new Collaboration service for professional-to-professional dialogue, and following that we will be introducing a new Telehealth service for professional-to-patient remote communication.
Using cutting-edge software, the online Collaboration tool will allow a more visual, intuitive and interactive way for health professionals to partner with colleagues in the management of a patient’s treatment. This bridge between health professionals has the power to increase discussion around options and identify preferable ones, and streamline patient treatment plans.
The Telehealth service, meanwhile, will provide a secure and efficient way for health professionals to connect with members of the public who are seeking fast, expert answers to their health-related questions, or looking for a quick second opinion on diagnoses. While the development and launch of these powerful tools has been accelerated by the needs presented by COVID-19, they will also be incredibly useful services for health professionals following the pandemic.
They say that information is power, but as we see it, information is powerful. In these days of misinformation, disinformation and ‘fake news’, the need for credible, timely and relevant information is paramount.
We invite you to join the Doctors on Cloud global community to share your knowledge and insights, and to benefit from those of your peers from around the world. Register your interest
