The global pandemic has brought a change in the international system of all sectors. The healthcare industry gradually shifted to virtual assistance or telemedicine. This global shift has changed how patients used to receive the treatment and also their overall interactions with the doctors. But the real question is , whether all the patients need virtual assistance? The answer is no. Although the new normal has made virtual assistance available to the patients, still many are not yet comfortable with it and prefer physical assistance. Hence, doctors have to be really considerate towards their patients and should aim to provide personalized treatment which meets the requirements of every patient.
The healthcare industry should aim to provide an efficient and unique customer experience aiming to strengthen the doctor – patient relationship. While there are patients who are satisfied with the services of telemedicine, still not all services are able to provide all the assistance according to their need. There are many barriers in telemedicine which affect the reach of the services to the masses. Many people still do not own a smartphone and millions of people do not have the facility of a good internet connection at their residence. In these cases the reach of remote assistance becomes a big challenge.
On the other hand , the international telemedicine industry has grown rapidly and surpassed the valuation of USD 60.9 billion by 2020. The growth is expected to boost further between 2021 to 2027 at a growth rate of 18.2 %.
Telemedicine has grown exponentially in recent years and this virtual connection has given a platform to everyone to boost their global collaboration and enhance their patient care models. Apart from using it for patient treatment, telemedicine can also be used to connect doctors and even the supporting staff in different hospitals on the virtual space.
Telemedicine has successfully catered to the changing needs of the consumers. In a recent G2’s fall report of 2021, telemedicine products received an appreciating score of 97% for “ ease of doing business”. The products also received a score of 94% for “ ease of use” . The trends are an evident proof that telemedicine is well accepted by the customers and is expected to grow further in the upcoming years.
With the lockdown taking place globally, the services were trying to adjust to online platforms, however, the telemedicine industry saw a boost in their sales. The industry was already well versed with the online medium and saw the situation as an opportunity to take their sales and services to the next level. During March 2020, the industry witnessed a huge spike in their business. Although the trends saw a fluctuating growth rate, the telemedicine industry is still getting a lot of attention across the globe. The traffic in this category is becoming stagnant overtime. This is happening due to multiple reasons. This category was not facing much competition earlier, however, with popularity and increase in the usage of the products globally, the competition grew considerably and now the customers started comparing the products in order to ensure that they have the best suitable product for them. Still, telemedicine is considered to be the most fascinating and trending area in the healthcare industry.
It is quite clear that the world has now shifted and fully adopted the new normal that is the hybrid mode. With telemedicine on board, the vision of having a fully functional hybrid healthcare setup is now a reality. The consumer has now a choice to opt online assistance or to visit a doctor physically. All thanks to telehealth services ! Patients can now opt for an online appointment with a complete assesment and registration. The telehealth services have successfully revolutionised the healthcare industry. This does not stop here ! With telemedicine trending across the globe, it will continue to evolve the healthcare industry and give the customer the experience they always desired.
Author- Toshank Bhardwaj, AI and Telemedicine Content Creator
