“We had to adapt really fast. In this huge pandemic crisis that we face right now, we also welcome great opportunities. We saw an amazing advance and openness from the healthcare players to adopt new telemedicine technologies to keep helping patients and maintain social distance whenever possible,” explains Maíra Flores, Portal Telemedicina’s Head of Communications.
Before COVID-19, the organization partnered with Google to build its telediagnostic service and detect pathologies in image exams. Today, Portal Telemedicina is working with clinics and hospitals using algorithms to detect signs of Covid-19 in X-Ray and Tomography exams.
“With this technology, we help to accelerate the diagnostics (10 minutes to get a result) with 82% to 95% accuracy. It is an innovative and unique technology with the potential to help thousands of lives in Brazil and hopefully globally,” Flores shares.
The health technology company’s COVID-19 efforts do not stop there. Flores reveals that they have “developed a teleconsultation application available to all people that live in Brazil with COVID-19 symptoms that need a doctor’s appointment. [The platform] is also available to people who need other specialists, but want to maintain social distance.”
Recently, Brazil introduced regulations that formally allow consultations, diagnostics and even surgeries to be performed using long-distance communication platforms. “I think it is a great advance to our healthcare system and a path with no return. We also closed a lot of partnerships with players that complement our technology which I think is a great strategy to keep growing in this new era that we all live in now,” Maria expresses.
As a primary digital communications tool for physicians and patients, Portal Telemedicina is in high demand.
“We also have a great digital presence, especially in organic search. Content and Nurturing Marketing have always been one important marketing strategy for us since the beginning of the company,” she shares. “Google is one of the partners that for sure is helping us a lot in regards to technology and marketing efforts, as well as the United Nations and Impact Hub.”
The team uses its platform to help over 500 hospitals and clinics serve thousands of patients in more than 300 cities in Brazil and Africa. “Our main form of contacting them is using online tools. So we stay connected with them using our website, sending emails, messaging applications, and social networks,” Flores notes.
COVID-19 has presented hospitals and health systems with the greatest public health challenge in recent history. Digital tools, such as those created by technology companies like Portal Telemedicina, are easing the burden.
Flores concludes, “I believe that with great partnerships we will be able to continuously grow and develop technologies to bring quality healthcare to millions of people.”