By Siddharth Mala
New Delhi – In recent years, online medical consultations have gained significant popularity in India. The advent of technology and increased internet penetration has made it more convenient for people to seek medical advice remotely.
According to a study conducted by Lybrate last year, there was a substantial 87% increase in online doctor visits in Tier II-III cities by 2022. This increase in virtual doctor visits was attributed to the growing popularity of telemedicine in the last two years. of years. Notably, cities like Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow experienced this significant growth in online inquiries, while metropolitan areas witnessed a 75 percent increase over the same period.
On the occasion of National Doctor’s Day, ETHealthworld engaged with experts to understand how online medical consultations have resulted in significant transformations and increased convenience for both doctors and patients in the healthcare industry.
According to an analysis by Statista, the telemedicine market in India was worth approximately $830 million in 2019, a notable increase from $647 million the previous year. This market has experienced steady growth since 2010 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31% through 2025.
Commenting on the pace of growth in the number of online patient consultations, Dr. Vaibhav Kapoor, Co-Founder of Pristyn Care, said that the number of online patient consultations has seen remarkable growth due to advances in technology and the increasing accessibility of the Internet. connectivity. the covid-19 pandemic played a significant role in accelerating this growth, with the past two years seeing an increase in online inquiries that exceeds the numbers seen in the previous decade. The implementation of social distancing measures and the imperative to minimize face-to-face interactions led to a rapid increase in the use of telemedicine services.
According to Practo, the digital health care The platform’s recent study on online consultations showed that doctors spent more than six hours a day on average consulting patients. In a positive post-COVID change, physicians continued to embrace digital technologies and spent an additional 62% of their time beyond their committed hours.
Emphasizing the rise of online medical consultations affecting the accessibility of healthcare for people in remote areas, Dr. Abhijit Paul, Practo’s chief medical officer, said: “telehealth can help healthcare providers and organizations expand access to quality healthcare in rural areas. It has also been shown to be extremely useful with monitoring and communication within the healthcare system. Increased accessibility and convenience, cost effectiveness, and continuity of care are some of the myriad benefits of online consultations with physicians.”
Online consultation vs face-to-face visit
Although online is useful for providing easy access to healthcare, it may not be suitable for all medical conditions or situations. Certain conditions may require in-person evaluations, such as examining a wound. In such cases, telemedicine consultations can be supplemented by face-to-face visits to ensure a comprehensive evaluation, the doctors report. Other than that, internet penetration is a challenge in some remote or rural areas. The absence of constant Internet access makes implementation difficult telehealth solutions that rely on video conferencing or remote monitoring. Then there is a lack of digital infrastructure such as electronic health records and remote monitoring devices. This can make it difficult to integrate telehealth into existing healthcare systems and workflows. Also, technological literacy is not something that many are aware of. This can make it difficult for patients to access telehealth services and for healthcare providers to communicate effectively with patients using the technology.
Advising that telemedicine consultations are not a complete replacement for in-person appointments, nor are they appropriate for all patients or clinical settings, Dr Aniket Mule, Consultant Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, said: “The “Technology doesn’t always work well and could act as a barrier to care delivery. The inability to perform a physical exam in person is a barrier, and inaccurate patient information can be a concern.”
Discussing the challenges healthcare professionals face, Dr. Mule emphasized that during any treatment, clinicians typically follow a four-step approach that includes history taking, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic consultation, and follow-up.
During the history-taking process, doctors ask questions specific to the person and the disease. The first deals with the patient’s previous illnesses, family status, previous therapies, allergies, etc., while the second deals with the origin, duration and progression of the disease. According to medical practice, anamnesis represents 70% of diagnoses, which makes it a fundamental task.
History taking becomes even more critical in telemedicine because the patient is not physically present. The doctors may not have been able to see the patients’ facial expressions or gauge their anxiety levels. Sometimes connectivity issues make it difficult to hear patients clearly. There are also language challenges, as patients speak in their native language, making it difficult for the doctor to understand things correctly.
According to NITI Aayog, the Indian telemedicine market is expected to experience substantial growth, with its market size projected to increase from $830 million to $5.5 billion by 2025. This growth is anticipated to be driven by a CAGR 31 percent during the same period. . Several key factors contribute to the growth of the telemedicine industry, including an increase in demand for healthcare, technological advances, diagnostic convenience for patients, and increased patient retention.
With the increase in the growth rate of online physician consultations, there are some barriers that hinder equal access to telemedicine. On this, Vikram Thaploo, CEO-Telehealth, Apollo Hospitals, suggested some measures to close the technology gap and ensure equal access to online medical consultations for all people.
He said that the main focus should be on the implementation of digital literacy programs aimed at educating people, particularly those who are less technologically literate, about the basics of using digital devices, accessing the Internet and using platforms. online for healthcare. These programs can be run through community centers, libraries, or local health care organizations. He also emphasized the development of user-friendly online platforms and applications for medical practices that prioritize simplicity and ease of use.
“Design interfaces that are intuitive and require minimal technical knowledge, and consider the needs and limitations of people with different levels of technological proficiency,” he added.
Emphasizing public-private partnerships, Thaploo said that initiatives like improving broadband connectivity, establishing community Wi-Fi networks or exploring innovative solutions like satellite internet are of paramount importance.
Noting that ethical concerns are a major issue in telemedicine and medical practice, Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal, President, Indian Medical Association (IMA) indicated that for the follow-up process of patients with chronic diseases, the telemedicine consultation modality may be preferred. However, to diagnose the disease and review the condition, it is always advisable to go to a physical consultation.
Dr. Agarwal further added that in medical teaching and ethics, it is always advisable to see the patient first, as the patient. Unless the patient has been physically examined, it is not advisable to prescribe the drug and that is the basic foundation of medical science. He also advised not to take the digital consultation just for the sake of it and can take it only in case of emergency of those patients who are in regular monitoring of the same disease element with the doctor or in case of chronic diseases, telemedicine should be considered. .
Although there is a lot of excitement about this shift to digital healthcare and there is definitely momentum, which is building, clinicians tell us that proper guidelines are needed for online consultation.
