Kate Ma
What is virtual healthcare?
Virtual healthcare, or telehealth, is a form of healthcare that provides remote assistance through digitized services such as primary care video consultations, conversations through messages, automated feedback models, and more. Oftentimes these practices include technologies such as mobile apps, wearable devices, and data-tracking tools. Some of the earliest examples of telemedicine date back to the 1950s-1960s. As teleradiology, the transmission of radiological scans and images to locations other than where patients were imaged, was popularized in the 1950s, modern medicine began to incorporate more and more video technologies, especially as motion pictures advanced in this time. In 1959, medical students at the University of Nebraska used a two-way television setup that synced information all across their campus; the University later worked with a state hospital to provide services through video, becoming one of the first establishments to communicate remotely through media for medical purposes. Today, telemedicine has advanced in scope and impact, closing the gap in healthcare accessibility across socioeconomic groups, offering more consistent medical attention, and more.
The impact of virtual healthcare during the pandemic
Telemedicine, favored for its accessibility, convenience, and efficiency, has especially proven its value during the last few years of the Coronavirus pandemic. As the virus spread all across the world, people were forced to isolate themselves at home while services were shut down and hospitals were overwhelmed. It is easy to imagine why the popularity of telemedicine skyrocketed at this time, as it provided a solution to the risks of in-person contact and increased access to medical attention during a time when medical resources were exhausted. In a recent study conducted by a research nonprofit, Rand Corp, 1600 adults in the US were surveyed about their use of telemedicine and reliance on technological services. Less than 4% of the individuals had used virtual healthcare in February 2019 but it quickly increased to about 45% by March 2021. These statistics are the product of the restrictive conditions of quarantine, which drew more attention to remote alternative healthcare practices.
The shortcomings of virtual healthcare
While virtual healthcare significantly increases the efficiency and accessibility of primary care, advanced medical examinations that include body scans, imaging, and patient to doctor contact still require in-person appointments. A concern that arises from the popularization of telemedicine is that people might rely too heavily on online consultations, often neglecting to go to a physical location for a more comprehensive check-up, which may be detrimental for their health. Telehealth also usually fails to provide for individuals who have no access to a personal device or stable internet, a deeper problem that is hard to work around without other means of addressing socioeconomic disparities. Another prominent limitation of virtual healthcare is simply the technical flaws in softwares, wearable devices, and websites. Users of telemedicine technologies sometimes have to deal with glitches and errors that make their virtual sessions inefficient.
The future of telehealth
The popularity of virtual healthcare peaked during the pandemic but what will become of it in the future? According to the data collected by McKinsey & Company in 2021, while growth in telemedicine utilization remains relatively stagnant, its usage has been consistently about 38 times higher than pre-pandemic conditions, suggesting that telehealth will continue flourishing into a bigger industry. From a business perspective, telehealth companies have the potential to greatly expand their operations in the coming years as consumers have now been more exposed to and willing to utilize telemedicine related technologies. Mckinsey’s research also approximates that 40% of surveyed participants will continue to use virtual healthcare in the future, which is nearly 30% more consumers compared to before 2020.
Comments