- 31/08/2020
- Category: Commentaries
Yogyakarta, August 14th, 2020 – The Covid-19 pandemic has encouraged people to rely on digital technology, especially in the healthcare sector. Technology made it easier to assist patient handling, prevention, and eradication of viruses. However, the prominent role of this technology also requires digital literacy readiness at the community level. Through the 31st Difussion series held on Friday (14/8), the Center for Digital Society (CfDS) invited Anis Fuad, S.Ked., DEA. as a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing (FKKMK) Universitas Gadjah Mada, to discuss the role of technology and digital literacy in pandemic management more deeply.
COVID-19 in Indonesia
Anis Fuad opened his presentation by describing COVID-19 as a “tsunami wave.” While the first wave is a case of an increase in COVID-19, the second wave can be seen as a wave of conflicts – such as social welfare conflicts, economic conflicts, and public health conflicts both mentally and socially. It is feared that this wave of conflict will affect human civilization in the long run if a solution is not considered.
Telemedicine
Looking at Indonesia’s geographical background – an archipelago with various levels of technological development – Anis Fuad explained that telemedicine could be a means of dealing with a pandemic wave. Telemedicine is a remote health service by health professionals, using information and communication technology facilities for data exchange. This technology includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research, and evaluation, and continuing education for medical personnel to improve the health status of individuals and communities. Apart from the high potential benefits, telemedicine has its own challenges. “The lack of readiness in technology for both health workers and patients, ethical code, digital security and privacy, financing, legality, and digital infrastructure is still insufficient,” said Anis Fuad. But behind these challenges, some researchers/public health analysts see the presence of COVID-19 as a natural laboratory that forces all stakeholders to develop a telemedicine system in Indonesia.
Digital Literacy
Meanwhile, regarding digital literacy, Anis Fuad considers that digital literacy still needs to be improved in the healthcare aspect. Indonesian people need to improve their competence in finding, understanding, and assessing various media information. In fact, the spread of fake news –regarding medicine/healthcare– on the internet are highly considered by the public. Unfortunately, these news had hindered the actual efforts to deal with the pandemic, both at the individual and community levels. The technology users need to work together to put efforts in avoiding misinformation trap, especially fake news that threatens national public health. “Even though there are many parties who want to provide solutions to the COVID-19 case, the public should discuss this further issues with parties who has understanding to the principles of health and medicine,” concluded Anis Fuad.
Writer: Firya Qurratun’ain
Editor: Ruth Simanjuntak
