Significance. At a time when social distancing is mandated, the provision of health and medical services over the internet appears to be a sensible alternative to in-person care in medical practices and hospitals. These two terms are often confused or used synonymously because of their similarity, but they differ significantly from one another:
Telemedicine is primarily limited to clinical diagnoses and monitoring. By contrast, the field of telehealth encompasses technology, services, and education.
The advantages of these new e-services are obvious: they enable the online measurement of important vital parameters, the issuing of prescriptions and the administration of medication, as well as professional support and care via video call, etc. — all conveniently from home. The use of video consultations and visits has proven to be particularly valuable: in view of the current coronavirus crisis, it offers optimal support not only for physicians and caregivers, but also for families separated by circumstances. E-health solutions from the AAL (Active Assisted Living) sector, such as JAMES Video, protect against infection in these difficult times and offer significant added value for immobile or chronically ill patients, as they are spared the arduous journey to the doctor. This trend already appears to be well established in the United States:
According to a study by the American website AMD Global Telemedicine, 79% of patients would prefer to schedule medical appointments online rather than in person. In addition, 70% now prefer online consultations. However, the European market for telemedicine and telehealth is also growing rapidly: the European telemedicine market currently has a volume of 9.93 billion US dollars and is expected to grow to 19.2 billion US dollars by 2024 — corresponding to a compound annual growth rate of 14.1%.*
The primary market drivers are considered to be: COVID-19, demographic change, cost savings, quality improvement, effective care in rural areas, staff shortages, and the management of chronic conditions
In the German healthcare system, the doors to telemedicine and telehealth appear to be opening: six new key areas are currently planned, which are to be further developed in the coming weeks and months and then implemented in the healthcare system.
Despite their worldwide acceptance, both telemedicine and telehealth face obstacles that must first be overcome. For example, misdiagnoses can occur from time to time; while these can also happen during in-person consultations, they cast an especially negative light on online consultations. In addition, implementation and widespread distribution appear to make integration into healthcare systems more difficult. However, in view of global pandemics, an aging population, staff shortages, and similar challenges, telemedicine and telehealth will continue to gain in importance and necessity in the future.