Title: Rise of telemedicine and its Impact on Livelihood by 2040

Content:
“More gains on quality, affordability and accessibility are on the way”
What do tele-med means?
As the world evolves and advances, so does technology which in turn impacts our
daily lives. One of that advancement is Telemedicine. It’s not an overnight change,
but more like how summer turns into fall – gradual yet very perceptible. We are now
able to access healthcare remotely and this has huge implications for the way we
access healthcare. How will people be accessing healthcare services in 2040? I
believe that telehealth services will become an essential part of our everyday
lives and will be easily accessible from the comfort of our own homes. But first of
all, what is telemedicine? It is the use of telecommunications technology to
transmit medical information between healthcare professionals and patients via
mobile devices or computer tablets. Healthcare providers can use these devices to
connect remotely with their patients to monitor their health remotely or to even
treat them during emergencies without having to travel from one location to
another.
Role of tele-med during a pandemic
Telemedicine’s ability to address inequities in access has been demonstrated during
the pandemic. The ubiquitous smartphone, capable of video interactions, can be a
lifeline for underserved populations. In rural areas with few mental health
professionals, for example, Intermountain’s’s ability to offer virtual visits gives
patients prompt access to both emergency and routine care. Early in the COVID-19
pandemic, telehealth usage surged as consumers and providers sought ways to safely
access and deliver healthcare. When the pandemic forced the closure of in-person
clinics and offices, psychologists and psychiatrists across the world quickly
instituted virtual visits. Telemedicine visits remained popular even after
restrictions eased. Intermountain patients receiving their care virtually reported
high satisfaction and were less likely to cancel appointments than patients who had
scheduled in-person visits.
Advantages of Telemed in today’s era
Patients with obscure or complex medical problems often find themselves living a
two-pronged nightmare. There’s the pain and fear of having a rare disease and the
frustration of trying to find the right specialist. Patients may bounce from one
local physician to the next, wasting weeks or months sitting through useless
appointments and enduring sleepless nights. Telemedicine offers a far better
solution. Virtual technology can connect patients with the most experienced and
knowledgeable doctors regardless of where they practice. By eliminating the
barriers of time and distance, telemedicine can help address two serious problems
for patients with difficult diagnoses and rare diseases. The first is misdiagnosis.
The second is long waits for a proper diagnosis and effective treatment plan.
Rise of the telemedicine industry post-pandemic
Source: The Indian Express
This step-change, borne out of necessity, was enabled by these factors: 1)
increased consumer willingness to use telehealth, 2) increased provider willingness
to use telehealth, and 3) regulatory changes enabling greater access and
reimbursement. During the tragedy of the pandemic, telehealth offered a bridge to
care, and now offers a chance to reinvent virtual and hybrid virtual/in-person care
models, with a goal of improved healthcare access, outcomes, and affordability.
Our consumer research5 shows that consumers continue to view telehealth as an
important modality for their future care needs, but—as expected—this view varies
widely depending on the type of care. Overall, consumer perception tracks closely
to what we believe is possible telehealth uptake by various specialties (Exhibit
2).
Around 40 percent of surveyed consumers stated that they believe they will continue
to use telehealth going forward—up from 11 percent of consumers using telehealth
before COVID-19.
Its impact on human beings over the years
Moreover, our research shows between 40 and 60 percent of consumers express
interest in a set of broader virtual health solutions, such as a “digital front
door” or lower-cost virtual-first health plan.6 However, a gap has historically
existed between consumers’ expressed interest in digital health solutions and
actual usage. Continuing to focus on creating a seamless consumer interface,
breaking down silos in care provision (across virtual and in-person) with improved
data integration and insights, and proactive consumer engagement will all be
important to sustaining and growing consumer use of virtual health as the pandemic
wanes.
Increasing both the frequency and the scope of virtual care nationwide would
transform Indian health, improving the lives of patients who get sick during nights
and weekends, those with chronic and mental health issues, and anyone who could
benefit from virtual specialty care. It could save tens of thousands of lives and
hundreds of billions of dollars each year. As of July 2021, we step back to review
the progress of telehealth since the initial COVID-19 spike and to assess
implications for telehealth and virtual health more broadly going forward. The
findings include the following insights:
“ Telehealth utilization has stabilized at levels 38X higher than before the
pandemic. Similarly, consumer and provider attitudes toward telehealth have
improved since the pre-COVID-19 era. Investment in virtual care and digital health
more broadly has skyrocketed, fuelling further innovation. Virtual healthcare
models and business models are evolving and proliferating.”
Access to online primary care is growing rapidly but remains concentrated among
younger patients and minorities. Despite the challenges ahead, substantial
opportunities lie ahead as we recover from the pandemic.
Is the rise in tele-med industry temporary or will keep growing?
The trend toward more virtual health care will continue as consumers become more
comfortable with telehealth and demand more convenient ways to access care. In some
areas, such as urgent care and specialty care, patients are starting to shift their
preferences toward online solutions. Moving forward, there are several important
challenges and opportunities to consider to ensure that the benefits of telehealth
are widely accessible to patients and providers alike.
Role of business leaders in achieving new model
When creating a new model of health care, the hard work is in the details, and
because a tele-driven system will affect every aspect of care delivery, developing
one entails thousands of decisions. Medical and financial leaders will need to
design, shape, and implement the processes by which care will be delivered and paid
for. The specifics of how best to do this are beyond the scope of this article, but
here are two major considerations: reimbursement and care delivery requisites.
Businesses will need to band together to achieve economies of scale and identify
the right leadership in the surrounding medical community. Businesses might wonder
whether creating a new health system merits the time and energy that would be
required. They should consider that rapidly rising medical costs will significantly
affect their bottom lines. Even before Covid-19 struck, sparking supply chain
challenges and exacerbating the shortage of healthcare professionals, experts
predicted that healthcare spending would increase by 5.5% annually. Businesses can
expect extremely high medical-cost inflation if nothing is done. The time to act is
now.
Summing it up
Lowering medical costs while maximizing the health of employees is the best way for
businesses to stay profitable and maintain a loyal workforce. The pandemic has
highlighted the opportunities that exist and the problems that will worsen if
nothing changes. Done well, the transition to a tele-driven health system could be
accomplished in a few years. If left to chance, it could take decades—if it happens
at all. The current crisis offers a unique opportunity to build a better future for
our healthcare system. But we must act quickly.