Moving towards digitalization in healthcare was on many governments’ agendas prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but issues with the legislative landscape, reimbursement, and acceptance prevented telehealth from being fully integrated into healthcare systems, says GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that, while telemedicine showcased its potential to become an essential element of modern healthcare during the pandemic, it will not replace in-person care.

In GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Telemedicine – Physician Perspective’, more than 70% of surveyed physicians stated that they were planning to use telemedicine post-pandemic. These numbers were consistent with GlobalData’s 2020 survey findings, with the same percentage of physicians confirming that they would use telemedicine post-COVID-19.

According to the survey data before COVID-19 pandemic between 57%-62% of healthcare professionals used telemedicine to assess / treat their patients. Even though the use of telemedicine is expected to remain higher compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, there has been no change in the 2020 and 2021 surveys regrading post-pandemic use. In both surveys, the percentage of physicians who expected to use telemedicine more after the pandemic subsides remained the same, which indicates that an additional year of experience in using telemedicine tools did not result in the physicians’ increasing their usage rates.

Urte Jakimaviciute, Senior Director of Market Research at GlobalData, comments: “Telemedicine is not a one-size fits all solution. While the use of telemedicine is well exceeding pre-pandemic levels, presenting a substantial opportunity for the sector to grow, the applicability of telemedicine must come first. It is important to understand that telemedicine is not only about the technology, but also about the user experience and the quality of services they receive.

“Telemedicine must be a choice, not an obligation. Although there is no doubt that the technology can address ongoing healthcare issues, such as increasing cost, workforce shortages and the burden of chronic diseases, most of the healthcare systems are likely to pursue a hybrid care model post-COVID-19. For instance, in-person visits will be used for services that cannot be effectively carried out online or for patients who are more comfortable with face-to-face interactions.”