A Digital Health Consumer Survey conducted by Accenture indicates that new generations are more willing than previous generations to receive virtual care. The survey also found that 411% of Generation Z respondents prefer a digital experience with a doctor or other healthcare professional. The study also found that 291% of Generation Y and Z users already use some form of online care. “Telemedicine is seen as an opportunity to promote the health of adolescents,” says Felipe Folco, physician and director of Cia. da Consulta, a private healthcare platform.
“During this pandemic, we have seen a variety of health interventions, such as meditation, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, online nutrition and several other specialties being offered remotely. All of this certainly increases health care,” says Folco.
Digital experiences can be a way to engage young people more in taking care of their own health. For Benito Lourenço, a physician and hebiatrist at the University of São Paulo's Hospital das Clínicas (HC-FMUSP), sexuality and mental health are among the urgent topics to address with the younger generation.
More informed about sexuality, but little protected
Regarding sexuality, there is a huge challenge regarding safe sex and protection against sexually transmitted infections, STIs. It is estimated that only 501,000 young people are using contraceptives, which in addition to protecting against unwanted pregnancy, are a barrier against sexually transmitted infections. “Unlike 10 or 15 years ago, people today are no longer afraid of STIs. We need to find out how to reintroduce condoms into the daily lives of young people,” says Lourenço. explains Benito Lourenço, a pediatrician at the University of São Paulo’s Hospital das Clínicas (HC-FMUSP).
More anxious, but lack of support
The pandemic and social isolation have already been highlighted over the last two years as factors that have impacted the mental health of children and adolescents, increasing rates of anxiety and depression.
In addition to this, there are also conflicts at home, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, body development and the search for aesthetic procedures, the school environment, among other challenges for young people. The combination of these factors is represented in the National School Health Survey (PeNSE), carried out in 2019 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The data indicate that 47.2% of adolescents aged 13 to 17 are very worried about their daily lives. In the 16 and 17 age group, 19.1% see the quality of their mental health as negative. The research also highlights that girls have the worst rates, since 39.8% felt that no one cares about them and 29.6% feel that life is not worth living.
For hebiatrician Benito Lourenço, the solution to these problems is welcoming. “We need to make a listening diagnosis. There are few spaces where young people can talk about their difficulties, whether at home or in health care settings,” explains the specialist. “To address these issues, we need to open spaces that are friendly to adolescents,” he concludes.
Telemedicine as an environment to promote health
With greater familiarity with digital technologies, teleconsultation can be the chance to clear up doubts and receive appropriate guidance on different elements and phases of life: “There are many everyday situations that require medical or other professional guidance, such as practicing sports, physical activity, puberty, beginning of sexual life, doubts and taboos that sometimes it is not possible to discuss with the family, so remote healthcare helps a lot in this regard”, explains Folco.
For Folco, the advantage for this audience is associated with the ease of use of technology and its suitability to available time.
For those who have access to a private environment, teleconsultations are attractive because they offer more autonomy, freedom to ask questions and provide greater time savings. Based on the Statute of Children and Adolescents (ECA), adolescents have the right to privacy and, therefore, can undergo medical consultations without a guardian present.
Care in the use of telemedicine with young people
“Maybe, for young people, as long as technology is something they are used to in their daily lives, they will be less afraid. It is more natural and intuitive for them,” says Chao Lung Wen, head of the Telemedicine Department at the University of São Paulo (USP). In Wen’s opinion, telehealth is attractive to all generations, mainly due to its easy access.
However, the professor points out that there is a risk of telemedicine becoming commonplace in Generation Z. “This group may sometimes not see a problem in receiving care through social media or may not notice that certain protocols are being followed,” says the professor. Therefore, the telemedicine specialist emphasizes that, regardless of the generation, it is necessary to provide instructions for conducting teleconsultations.
Source: https://futurodasaude.com.br/tecnologia-aliada-para-a-saude-dos-jovens/
