Peran Telemedisin sebagai Sarana Menurunkan Angka Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder di Masa Pandemi COVID-19 Varian Omicron di Indonesia - Samosir, Fauzan Azmi Hasti Habibi; Panjaitan, Jeremia Aris Pandapotan; Kathy (SCRIPTA SCORE Scientific Medical Journal, 2025)
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the Omicron variant era, has brought major changes to the daily lives of the global community, including policies such as work-from-home (WFH) and limiting social access, and straightforward health services. The combination of prolonged social distancing and chronic psychological stress contributes to the increasing prevalence and worsening of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Objectives: This research explores the potential role of telemedicine as an interprofessional collaboration platform to support the diagnosis and management of OCD during the Omicron COVID-19 wave in Indonesia. Methods: This research uses a literature review method with the keywords "COVID-19 Omicron variant", "OCD", "COVID-19 pandemic", and "Telemedicine". The effectiveness, feasibility, and user satisfaction of telemedicine services were evaluated, especially concerning OCD management during the pandemic. Discussion: Telemedicine has become an easily accessible, cost-efficient, and widely accessible alternative to medical consultations, replacing conventional face-to-face meetings. Various research findings show that this approach is equivalent in effectiveness to conventional therapy in treating OCD, including the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy via long-distance methods. Survey results show high levels of satisfaction across various age groups. Furthermore, telemedicine plays a role in encouraging inter-professional collaboration by integrating various health workers such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nutritionists, religious leaders, pharmacists, and nurses into an integrated and coordinated service model. However, the optimal use of telemedicine still faces challenges, including low public awareness, limited digital literacy, and uneven supporting infrastructure. Conclusion: Telemedicine has shown significant potential as a multidisciplinary healthcare platform in the treatment of OCD, especially in pandemic restrictions. Keywords: COVID-19 Omicron variant, COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and telemedicine. Latar Belakang: Pandemi COVID-19 terutama varian Omicron telah membawa perubahan besar dalam kehidupan sehari-hari masyarakat global diantaranya kebijakan seperti work from home (WFH) dan membatasi akses sosial terutama layanan kesehatan secara langsung. Kombinasi dari pembatasan sosial yang berkepanjangan dan stres psikologis kronis berkontribusi terhadap peningkatan prevalensi serta perburukan obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi potensi peran telemedisin sebagai platform kolaborasi antarprofesi untuk mendukung diagnosis dan manajemen OCD selama gelombang Omicron COVID-19 di Indonesia. Metode: Penelitian ini menggunakan metode literature review dengan kata kunci “COVID-19 varian Omicron”, “OCD”, “Pandemi COVID-19”, dan “Telemedisin”. Efektivitas, kelayakan, dan kepuasan pengguna layanan telemedicine dievaluasi, terutama dalam kaitannya dengan manajemen OCD selama pandemi. Diskusi: Telemedisin telah berkembang menjadi alternatif konsultasi medis yang mudah diakses, efisien secara biaya, dan dapat dijangkau secara luas, menggantikan pertemuan tatap muka konvensional. Berbagai temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pendekatan ini memiliki efektivitas yang setara dengan terapi konvensional dalam penanganan OCD, termasuk dalam penerapan Cognitive Behavioral Therapy melalui metode jarak jauh. Hasil survei menunjukkan tingkat kepuasan yang tinggi di berbagai kelompok usia. Lebih lanjut, telemedisin berperan dalam mendorong kolaborasi antarprofesi dengan mengintegrasikan berbagai tenaga kesehatan seperti psikiater, psikolog, ahli gizi, tokoh agama, apoteker, dan perawat ke dalam model pelayanan yang bersifat terpadu dan terkoordinasi. Namun demikian, pemanfaatan telemedisin secara optimal masih menghadapi tantangan, antara lain rendahnya kesadaran masyarakat, terbatasnya literasi digital, serta belum meratanya infrastruktur pendukung. Kesimpulan: Telemedisin telah menunjukkan potensi yang signifikan sebagai platform layanan kesehatan multidisiplin dalam penanganan OCD, khususnya di tengah pembatasan akibat pandemi.  Kata Kunci: COVID-19 varian Omicron, kesehatan mental, obsessive-compulsive disorder, pandemi COVID-19, dan telemedisin