Did you know 80% of people have accessed care via telemedicine at least once in their lives? According to a statistic, by 2025, the global telehealth market size is expected to grow exponentially to USD 55.6 billion, at a CAGR of 16.9%.
Interest in telemedicine is increasing exponentially. Also, between 2024 and 2028, online doctor consultations are expected to rise by 13.7 million, showing an 11.74% increase. This trend indicates that many people prefer virtual visits over traditional in-person appointments. According to a survey, over 50% of patients in the U.S. prefer online consultations more than visiting a doctor’s office.
Telemedicine allows patients to see doctors through video or phone calls. This gives liberty to patients to access healthcare services easily. This is especially helpful for those with busy lives or who live far from medical facilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a significant role in this shift, as many people became accustomed to receiving care online rather than in person. With that, over $3.4 billion has been invested into the telehealth sector by numerous industry leaders. Let us dive deeper into the blog and learn about the trends in telemedicine.
Top Trends Shaping the Future of Telemedicine
There are a few trends that are changing the future of telemedicine. In this section, we will shed some light on the trends.
Telesurgery: Advances in robotics and fast internet have made it possible for doctors to perform surgeries from far away. Telesurgery is a type of surgery that allows doctors to operate on patients from far away using wireless technology and robots. This means that a surgeon can perform an operation even if they are not in the same location as the patient, making it easier for people in remote areas to get specialised medical care. Telesurgery ensures that high-quality surgical care can reach people no matter where they are located, including rural areas, battlefields, and spacecraft.
Telepsychiatry: Mental health is one of the most sensitive topics in the world of medicine. Telepsychiatry is a way for people to get mental health help using phones or video calls. This method is especially good for those who feel more comfortable receiving care from home or who live far away from a psychiatrist.
Teleophthalmology: Teleophthalmology is a process of allowing patients to get eye care from specialists without having to travel. By using digital images and video calls, doctors can accurately check for eye problems, catch diseases early, and provide timely treatment.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning: AI and ML are the hottest topics in the IT industry. Businesses are integrating this technology into their services and making informed decisions. Integrating AI into telemedicine platforms can help healthcare professionals diagnose more accurately, customize treatment, and streamline administrative tasks. AI helps businesses analyze larger sets of data, identify patterns, improve preventive care, and predict health outcomes at the earliest.
Wearable Technology: Wearables are helping the healthcare industry improve a lot by helping patients track their pulse rate and monitor health. Nowadays, people are using devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and biosensors, among others, helping them track their health. Wearables facilitate proactive health management by tracking vital signs in a timely manner, detecting errors, and sharing real-time data with healthcare providers.
Electronic Health Records: EHRs enhance the care by taking care of patients’s data. Hence, seamless integration of telehealth with electronic health records can support the clinic to become better by helping them make better decisions and establish coordination among other healthcare providers.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): RPM is a tool that allows healthcare professionals to continuously monitor patients with chronic conditions. This enables healthcare services to track health metrics and adjust treatments as needed. Remote patient monitoring tool improves patient outcomes and decreases the rate of hospital readmissions.
Benefits of Telemedicine
Telemedicine, also known as telehealth, offers numerous benefits. Nowadays, tech has become advanced, making telemedicine easy for everyone. Patients can use numerous online platforms or mobile apps and pay a virtual visit to doctors, practitioners, and therapists.
Comfort and Convenience: Patients prefer treatment at comfort, and telehealth is perfect even when it comes to ease and trust. With telemedicine, you don’t have to drive to the doctor’s office or clinic, find parking, walk inside, or wait in a waiting room for hours while feeling unwell. Instead, you can meet the doctor from the comfort of your bed or sofa. Virtual visits are easier to fit into your busy schedule. This saves time for patients and doctors, as the meeting depends on the patient’s availability. Patients might not even have to take time off work or arrange for childcare. This makes getting medical care more convenient and stress-free.
Control of Infectious Illness: The world is still recovering from COVID-19, and safety has become a topic of concern. Hence, to help stop the spread of the flu and other infections, doctors can use telehealth appointments to check if patients might have an infectious disease before they come in for a visit.
This means that sick people don’t have to go to the office, which reduces their chances of catching germs from others. This is mainly important for people who are already sick, pregnant, elderly, or have weak immune systems, as they are more vulnerable to infections. By using telemedicine, everyone can stay safer and healthier.
Easier Assessment: Our environment plays a great role in our health. Telemedicine gives doctors the benefit of checking patients’s surroundings and suggesting to them if things need to change. For example, there can be something in your environment that is causing the allergies. Neurologists and physical therapists can observe and help patients take care of themselves at home. Telehealth is beneficial for the patients dealing with mental health issues. Sometimes patients don’t want to come out and talk in person, but it is easier for them to talk over a virtual meet.
Family Connections: Having a family around a customer can help the patient relax. So, when you talk to your doctor, it's helpful to have a family member with you. They can help share information, ask questions, and take notes on what the doctor says. In case your family member lives far away, like in another city or state, telemedicine allows them to join the virtual visit if you give permission. This way, they can still support you during your appointment, even if they can't be there in person.
Chronic Condition Management: Regular visits with primary care doctors, like those who specialize in family medicine, and internal medicine, are important for your family's health. Telemedicine makes it easy to connect with a doctor or nurse practitioner. Also, it makes it easy for new patients to quickly get an appointment with the next available doctor, which can save time and make it more convenient to get the care you need.
Future of Telemedicine
Overall, the future of telemedicine in 2025 will promote teamwork among healthcare professionals. Telemedicine is removing barriers caused by distance, so people can access the help of specialised doctors no matter where they live. As telemedicine continues to grow, there will likely be more specialized services available, changing how remote medical care works in different areas of healthcare.
Conclusion
We all have witnessed how the telehealth market has grown from $3 billion to $250 billion. Businesses cannot ignore the potential that the telemedicine industry holds. So, if you are in the healthcare business, having a telehealth app can help you expand globally.
Are you in the healthcare business looking to develop the best healthcare app? Well, you are in the right place. ToXSL Technologies is a leading telemedicine app development company. With more than 12 years in the IT industry, we have helped numerous healthcare businesses develop the most secure, scalable, and reliable telemedicine app. Our experts consist of highly skilled developers, designers, and testers, who take full responsibility for the app, from designing to launching your app.
We at ToXSL start by understanding the clients requirements, then we do market analysis and read your competitors. This helps our developers create an innovative and unique solution for your business.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact our expert today and understand how we can help your business grow.
