Evolution Of Telemedicine During the Pandemic!

As The famous saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention/innovation “. We have also observed the rise of many innovative ideas one of which is Telemedicine. Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communication and software to provide clinical services to a patient without an in-person visit.

During the pandemic, telemedicine has stepped up as a provider of primary and urgent healthcare for common ailments. And without exposing the patient and the doctor to the possible risk of the covid 19, conduct psychological state appointments, triaging patients with covid 19 symptoms. With Providers now seeing 5 to 175 times more patients via telemedicine and telehealth since the pandemic. Many in healthcare services believe that telemedicine has evolved more in six months than in the last decade with a 75% satisfaction rate.

Will Telemedicine Keep Growing Post Covid-19?

Now the question arises, will there be a growth in Telemedicine post covid-19 ? Frankly, we don’t know when the covid-19 pandemics will be gone for good. Or what the world will look like post-Covid. But we do know the role played by telemedicine in tough times like Covid 19. Now the world is familiar with telemedicine and knows the benefit it bestowed. And we can now say that telemedicine is here to stay.

Research also shows the increased level of familiarity and satisfaction among both patients and consultants. That being said, it’s very hard to imagine that the world will go back to the ways things were. The Demand for telemedicine will only grow in the post covid world. As now it’s becoming a common practice to use and saves time and is easily accessible. The increase in consumer adoption rate for telemedicine is also a very good sign for the future of telemedicine. It has more than tripled from 11% in 2019 to 46% in 2020.

A study by Frost and Sullivan predicts that telemedicine market will see a seven-fold growth in market share by 2025.

In What Ways Telemedicine Is Expected To Grow?

According to experts, telemedicine can grow in two ways post covid-

1. Telemedicine will transition from stand-alone ‘vertical’ to permanently integrated option for local practices
2. Across a much broader range of specialties & practices, it will offer video consultations with a range of payment models. It will also include direct pay/subscription, retaining and expanding on hybrid healthcare delivery approaches.

These changes won’t replace the thought of a brick-and-mortar health care practice. But instead supplement them and make new ways to draw in and look after patients.

Pre and Post Pandemic Scenario

Pre-pandemic, most use of telehealth involved patients engaging with clinicians they might never see face to face. And certainly never follow-up with again. But Covid lockdowns changed that. Both clinicians and patients found that a lot of use cases sustained remote patient care via video quite well. And for a way broader set of use cases than previously attempted. Specialties have experimented broadly beyond urgent care visits for brand spanking new and existing patients. For instance, using video for medication adjustments, taking an in depth history for a replacement patient at a specialist practice, conducting pre- and post-surgical consults, and initiating physiotherapy protocols.

The Road Ahead

In the post-Covid ‘Roaring 2020s,” how patients will discover a practice and join a panel are likely to shift. Options for contacting a clinician, the way to buy their care, and what a patient encounters once they reach an office, will all matter quite ever. Two things will become more important:

1. Virtual introductory options to recruit new patients,
2. Direct pay options.

Based on these trends, expect many practices to experiment with direct-to-patient care models. Including discrete fees for introductory video consults and/or subscription offerings for video and asynchronous (e.g. text or chat) access to the practice. Experts anticipate these hybrid models will grow and expand. Particularly as deductibles, copays, and other patient responsibility components continue to increase and practices compete more directly with practices that directly target these growing patient segments.

Conclusion

Telemedicine won’t revolutionize health care on its own. But the experience of many Americans during the pandemic assures us that it’ll become a permanent fixture of the healthcare ecosystem. One likely to account for a growing share of revenue in our $4 trillion health care economy. These changes are largely positive for clinicians and patients, and will lead to both improved access to the healthcare system and new ways for clinicians to generate revenue. For Americans who have grown familiar with the convenience of remote care, but need a durable relationship with a practice , the efforts of practices across the country to integrate telehealth will make sure that continues to be a reality.

Looking at the data and arguments it is quite obvious and safe to assume that telemedicine will continue to grow. And thrive post-Covid Pandemic and will be a New Normal. If you are looking to deploy a telemedicine marketplace now is the best time to move your approach from reactionary to strategic. Continue to build a competitive platform following current market trends and offering of course enabled by our robust and powerful panther platform to reach more patients.

Telemedicine will continue to grow and play a major role in a hybrid model of care that emphasizes treating patients where and how they prefer at home, on the go, or in-person.