As COVID-19 cases rise, telemedicine could be the future of consultations

With the country in the midst of an almost complete 21-day lockdown, telemedicine consultations seem to have gained in popularity and use cases. The recent tweaking of norms related to telemedicine by the government has meant that this is an area that could help patients seek immediate help in case of a health emergency.

This is attested in a McKinsey report, that said that India could save up to $10 billion in 2025 if telemedicine replaced 30% to 40% of in-person outpatient consultations and there was more digitisation in the overall healthcare industry. Analysts and industry players feel that with traditional healthcare services suffering from multiple pain points for consumers and service providers alike- from crowding in facilities, an insufficient supply of doctors/medicines, slow/poor service levels and others, telemedicine might bring in a sea change.

This is seen in a report by management consultancy Redseer which says that the eHealth industry could hit $16 billion in size by 2025. It states that the new regulations governing their usage for various medicine types will also help the ecosystem in the long run.

It says, "We expect eConsultation to see massive consumers trials as well as long term adoption during this period, leading to accelerated long-term growth in this relatively nascent market segment (till date)."

The rise in interest in telemedicine is not limited to India alone. Recently, reports said that French firm Doctolib SAS had seen an 18-fold jump in the number of video consultations in a month and US health insurers have agreed to cover coronavirus-related telemedicine.

Coming back to India, most Industry players are also happy with the new policy and feel that it would offer a great impetus to the industry.

“The guidelines have addressed the ambiguity around teleconsultation with medical practitioners. Patient consent is of paramount importance. As per the guidelines, on GOQii’s health platform, we only have registered medical practitioners (RMP) whom players can consult,” Vishal Gondal, founder and CEO, GOQii said.

According to Mudit Dandwate, CEO, Dozee, “The delivery and facilitation of medical health through telecommunication and digital mediums is essential during this pandemic. We are extremely happy with the government’s decision during times like these. The policy will not only reduce the risk of transmission but also reduce the burden on medical professionals."