TALKING

The curious thing , though , is that this technology wasn ’ t new . It was entirely possible , pre-pandemic , to organize a teleconsultation , but at AXA , we found that , of those who registered for the Virtual Doctor service , 26 % went on to use it . After the pandemic hit , that figure leapt to 64 %, as the service was used in 65 more countries , totalling 141 by December 2021 .

Initially , during the first few months of the pandemic , the use of telehealth grew by a faster rate than it has done in recent months . Now , it sits at around two to three times the previous levels and if we want to maintain these levels and the benefits offered by telehealth , we need to take action . As terrible as the pandemic has been , it posed an opportunity that comes once in a century to make fundamental changes to the way we do things . So , the question now is : what does the future of telehealth look like and how will customers choose between virtual and faceto-face care ?

Why wasn ’ t it used initially ?

Historically , what we ’ ve seen is that patients would typically turn to telehealth as a plan-B . For instance , when they had a problem but couldn ’ t get in to see their doctor . But if they found that the problem couldn ’ t be solved via teleconsultation , or if the advice was ultimately to visit their doctor for an in-person inspection , they were unlikely to use the service again .

In order to get the most value out of telehealth , providers and insurers need to understand – and demonstrate – that it ’ s a means to an end , as opposed to an end in its own right . The problem we ’ ve traditionally had is that many patients seem not to accept a teleconsultation as a step in a wider process , despite the fact that after their consultation , around 55 % of users are in a position where they can administer self-care from home . Changing this mindset and raising awareness of the true value of telehealth will be an important step in maintaining its popularity .

A phygital approach is required

For telehealth to be successful in the long term , a ‘ phygital ’ approach – a mixture of physical and digital – is required . Consider cancer detection . We know that skin cancer can be detected very well digitally , but you can ’ t receive all of the required treatment digitally . So , a seamless flow between the physical and digital worlds is the key to making telehealth successful . We need to do whatever ’ s needed , delivering the right care

Somesh Chandra , Chief Health Officer – Europe & Latin America and Business Head – Digital Health , AXA Group

As terrible as the pandemic has been , it posed an opportunity that comes once in a century to make fundamental changes to the way we do things .

www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO LATAM 37