She conducts online consultations to diagnose, treat and manage patients with various medical conditions. In 2011 I was involved in the planning and implementation of an entirely new 24-hour emergency unit in a private hospital in Cape Town. I co-headed the department until 2014, after which I decided to pursue family medicine. I worked in this capacity until March 2020. At the advent of the declaration of Covid-19 as a global pandemic, I chose to focus on telemedicine as a means of staying connected to my patients. The telemedicine mode of practice has allowed me to consult nationally and I see this as an opportunity to formally expand my patient base, bringing quality healthcare to a wider patient profile. Telemedicine afforded me the privilege of being invited into my patient's safe space-their homes or places of work. This establishes a relationship of trust more so than in a face-to-face consultation in a daunting surgery. I have learnt how extremely important it is to be the friendly face on the screen of a computer or the kind voice on the other side of the phone. My patients are always given the benefit of the doubt, and they play an integral part in all my management and treatment plans. Being on the other side as a patient myself has taught me just how vulnerable we are as human beings. We are essentially exposing ourselves to a complete stranger at our most vulnerable. It is of utmost importance to have unwavering trust in the doctor, and the doctor needs to realise what a privilege it indeed is to have someone entrust you with their state of wellbeing; kindness is key. In all my years of seeing patients face-to-face, never before have I managed to establish such an excellent rapport with my patients as I have when I started telemedicine. It allows for my patients to play a key role, from examination straight through to the treatment plan. This is hardly ever the case in a rushed surgery setting where the patients are pushed into following the doctor’s advice. I encourage questions to be asked, I am open-minded about alternative forms of treatment, and I offer my expertise in a non-authoritative manner, always allowing my patients to have the final word. I am a warrior of note when it comes to continuity of care. My patients can call me at any time if they are concerned about anything following our consultation, even if it's just for further reassurance regarding their medical condition. I always follow up with a text message or an email within 24 hours of the consultation. Telemedicine is fairly new in SA, although it has been practised extensively by doctors overseas. It is going to become the 'new normal' for the safe, efficient, convenient and cost-effective way to offer advanced and professional medical care. I look forward to asking you, 'How can I help?’
