Virtual Doctors Blog - Dr Daniel Grace
My name is Livi Woosey. I’m a final year university student in the UK and am planning a career in journalism. As such, I’m interested in writing about global affairs and am drawn to the work done by the Virtual Doctors. Here is the latest instalment in a series of blogs I’ve written about the organisation and its stakeholders. I’ve been inspired by my conversations and want to introduce you to some of the Charity’s employees and volunteers and give some brief insight into the diversity of roles they play. Everyone I speak to are inspiring and all making a valuable contribution to help to deliver this innovative telemedicine service.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Daniel Grace, a Virtual Doctor and member of the Charity’s Volunteer Medical Team. As well as working as a Locum GP in South East England, Daniel is also an Event Doctor and the co-founder of The Wilderness Medic, an online platform developed for the growing wilderness medicine community worldwide. Add the Virtual Doctors into the mix and Daniel certainly has his work cut out! It was great to chat to him about the work he has been doing with the Charity so far as well as his plans for the future.
Upon finishing his GP training, Daniel started looking for ways to get involved in Charity work. While all Charity work is no doubt invaluable, he wanted to find something that was going to have a long-lasting effect- something that was bringing positive change in a sustainable way.
That is why the Virtual Doctors Charity appealed to him. Daniel feels that “Charity work and sustainability are important. Whilst some in-country volunteer opportunities can last a week or a month, I wanted to get involved in a project that had some longevity that I could also continue do alongside my NHS work in the UK “.
The Virtual Doctors is on a mission to help strengthen the standard of healthcare in Zambia on a local level and educate the community so that one day the Clinical Officers will have the confidence to carry out procedures and prescribe treatment independently.
Having joined as a Virtual Doctor, Daniel now joins other colleagues working alongside Simon Gazeley on the volunteer led Medical Team. They are currently working on an exciting new podcast project, which aims to expand the amount of assistance given to Zambia’s Clinical Officers.
The podcasts are to be created for the benefit of the COs, discussing health topics and problems that they would like to learn more about. This will be an additional resource where they can get help and advice without needing to make a formal referral to a Virtual Doctor. The Charity’s innovative use of technology is fascinating, and it was brilliant to hear about this project that will make the most of a rapidly developing platform to back up and consolidate the work already being done by the team’s Virtual Doctors.
Speaking to Daniel made me realise just how versatile the Charity’s technology is. There is no computer needed and the software can be used on a smartphone anywhere in the world as long as there is cell reception. He was able to respond to a case in Zambia while travelling in Canada! The way in which the Virtual Doctors is using technology to bring about positive change in the developing world really is incredible and helps you realise how interconnected we are in the modern world.
Daniel’s work as a Virtual Doctor is certainly varied and not without its challenges. In the UK, when working in primary care as a GP, if you are confronted with a difficult case, there is the option to refer the patient to hospital, an outpatient clinic or organise more tests. Daniel says “the Virtual Doctors’ work with rural health centres really puts things into perspective- in somewhere like Zambia the process is not so straight forward. The Clinical Officers operate with very limited resources and can often only conduct a few point of care tests on patients. Specialists and hospitals are often located over a considerable distance way, which could potentially be a day’s walk away.
Working with the Charity and the variety of cases that come in means you have to be able to adapt. This may be through asking for advice, reading tropical medicine guidelines or looking at textbooks. Luckily the virtual doctors have a superb team with a number of specialities amongst them, and Daniel can refer a case for their opinion if needed so that the Charity can best advise clinical officers on treatment using the limited resources they have”.
Daniel tells me that the Charity gets monthly feedback from the clinical officers, which is invaluable in helping the Charity progress and develop. Clinical Officers are encouraged to give feedback at the close of each case which helps the UK team to find out which areas of their strategy are successful and which areas can be improved upon.
It is also really rewarding for the team to see that the types of cases coming in continue to be new and varied. As Clinical Officers grow in confidence and experience, they are using their newfound knowledge and the charities resources and not necessarily needing to get in touch about similar cases. This illustrates that the Charity’s work is paying off and the COs are learning how to treat particular cases independently.
Furthermore, statistics gathered by the Charity show that, when the service is used, fewer patients are being sent to hospitals located many miles away. As Daniel says, “all this shows the Charity is definitely moving in the right direction.” What more evidence could you need to show just how much of a lasting impact the Charity is set to have on the community?
Daniel is looking forward to continuing his voluntary work with the Charity and was very positive about their future and the expansion into Malawi. His contribution will no doubt make a huge difference to the lives of those in Africa.
See what else Daniel has been involved with recently in our media section
Dr Daniel Grace