THE FUTURE OF TELEMEDICINE IN MODERN HEALTHCARE

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 has brought a tremulous shift in healthcare delivery. Since February 2020, telemedicine grew from 1% of the primary care visit to nearly 43.5% in April 2020. The report published in 2020 by Telemedicon, revealed that non-metro cities recorded a growth of 7X in online consultations as compared to last year and started adopting an online mode of consultations amid the pandemic in metro to non-metro is 60:40 in 2020, as compared to 75:25 in 2019. This rapid growth presents telemedicine as the next frontier in healthcare. Digital and communication technologies have revolutionized the delivery of healthcare services. Telehealth is set to change the future of healthcare and remove many of the obstacles and challenges the patients and the industry face. Patients are rapidly transitioning to telehealth, 76% responded to the survey that they want to use telehealth going forward. Benefits of Telemedicine include convenience, access to care, better patient outcomes, a more efficient healthcare system, fewer hospital admissions, and fewer hospital re-admissions. With telemedicine’s current trajectory and rapid adoption rate, it has the potential to disrupt and redefine the way health systems operate, deliver care, manage costs, setting the stage for a vastly different healthcare experience in the future. The widespread use of telemedicine helps to push the industry to make better platforms that can cooperate and communicate. Telemedicine is an effective way to alleviate the congestion of hospitals, improve the utilization of medical resources, and also a powerful tool that makes healthcare accessible, cost-effective, and significantly enhances patient engagement. Key Words: Telemedicine, Telemedicine, healthcare, patient engagement.