Telehealth & Telemedicine. A rapidly growing market

Significance. In times when social distancing is mandatory, the provision of healthcare and medical services online appears to be a valuable alternative to face-to-face care in doctors’ surgeries and hospitals. Although the two terms are often confused or treated as synonyms due to their similarity, they are clearly distinct from one another:

Telemedicine is primarily limited to clinical diagnosis and monitoring. In contrast, the telehealth sector extends to technology, services and education.

The benefits of the new e-services are clear: they enable the online monitoring of key vital signs, the issuing of prescriptions and the dispensing of medication, as well as professional support and care via video calls, etc. – and all from the comfort of one’s own home. In particular, the use of video consultations and visits has proven its worth: in light of the current coronavirus crisis, not only doctors and carers but also (separated) families are receiving optimal support. e-health solutions from the AAL (Active Assisted Living) sector, such as JAMES Video, protect against infection in these challenging times and offer significant added value to immobile or chronically ill patients by sparing them the arduous journey to the doctor’s surgery. This trend already appears to be well established in the USA:

According to a study by the US website AMD Global Telemedicine, 79% of patients prefer to book doctor’s appointments online rather than in person. Furthermore, 70% now prefer online consultations. However, the European market for telemedicine and telehealth is also growing rapidly: the European telemedicine market is currently worth USD 9.93 billion and is set to grow to USD 19.2 billion by 2024 – that is 14.1% per year.*

COVID-19, demographic change, cost savings, improved quality, efficient healthcare provision in rural areas, staff shortages, and the management of chronic conditions

Within the German healthcare sector, the doors to telemedicine and e-health appear to be opening: six new priority areas are currently planned, which are set to be further developed in the coming weeks and months and subsequently implemented within the healthcare system.

Despite their global popularity, both telemedicine and telehealth face hurdles that still need to be overcome. For example, misdiagnoses can occasionally occur; whilst these can also happen in face-to-face consultations, they have a particularly negative impact on online consultations. Furthermore, implementation and widespread adoption appear to complicate integration into healthcare systems. However, in light of global pandemics, an ageing population, staff shortages and so on, telemedicine and telehealth will continue to grow in importance and necessity in the future.