A Deployment of Teleconsultation Services in Community Pharmacies
HUG@Home is a teleconsultation service provided by the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG). Through a secured platform, patients can interact with medical doctors via messages, calls, videos, and file exchange, all from the comfort of their homes. This solution, developed by the Primary Care Department and the eHealth and Telemedicine Department of HUG, aims to:
For more information, visit the pilot study on the HUG website and the Fondation Privée des HUG website. Details about the current framework can be found on the HUG framework page
The expansion of HUG@Home into pharmacies is currently underway. Building on the HUG@Home solution, this initiative aims to improve healthcare access for the canton's population . By providing community pharmacist-assisted teleconsultations with physicians, patients can now access rapid medical consultations for specific conditions, while also benefiting from the pharmacist’s guidance and expertise. The service is now available in eight pharmacies across the canton. The current list of participating pharmacies can be found here.
Our team is currently participating in the assessment of the deployment of HUG@Home in pharmacies. Through surveys, phone calls, group and individual interviews, we are investigating user satisfaction, the efficacy of addressing medical needs, and the effects on socioeconomic conditions. This study includes both users and non-users of teleconsultation services to establish a relevant comparison.
This project is supported by the Canton of Geneva's Digital Health Program (Programme Santé Numérique, PSN), the Foundation for Training and Research in Pharmacy (PharmaSuisse), the Faculty of Science at the University of Geneva, and Pharma24. The project is conducted in accordance with Swiss laws and has been authorized by an ethical committee.