Covid has proven to be a game changer in many ways. We’ve seen the drastic changes to how we work, and how office buildings are less necessary than we think, which will lead to long term structural changes in the REITs landscape. Just like how covid massively bumped up Zoom’s usage, I believe the same will happen to the rise of telemedicine. So today, let’s take a look at how covid will change the way we go to the doctor.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine refers to the process or act of getting consultation with a doctor via remote channels using video conferencing tools. This is usually for non emergency illnesses such as a cold or minor cough where a physical visit to the clinic is not necessary.
You will usually need a thermometer so you can take your temperature in real time for the doctor, and video conferencing or photos for visual inspection of eyes and throat etc.
A prescription will then be given, and the option of collecting the medicine from a pharmacy or delivery where possible.
Benefits of Telemedicine
There are various benefits to telemedicine across all parties.
Healthcare, anytime, anywhere.
First of all, you don’t need to leave the home anymore to get basic healthcare and consultation. This benefit may not be apparent in Singapore, but in larger countries where you live in the surburbs, and need to travel a long way to see a doctor, this helps immensely.
For older folks where mobility is a concern, this is a no-brainer.
Lessen the spread of infectious diseases
Diseases such as cough and cold are highly infectious, and there’s no place with a higher concentration of viruses than in a crowded clinic. With telemedicine, you don’t have to risk going out and infecting others, or risk getting something worse due to your weakened immune system.
Reduce doctor loads and wait times across the board
With the rise of telemedicine, you can have a roster of off-duty doctors taking a couple of calls, helping to reduce the load of patients in clinics. This helps the clinic queue management better, and everyone is better off.
Telemedicine providers in Singapore
If you think this is something new, and have never heard of it, think again. Here are some telemedicine providers already bustling in Singapore.
DoctorWorld provides consultation at $18 nett, anytime of day. They even provide medicine delivery within 3 hours of consultation. DoctorWorld operates 24/7.
Sata Comm Health provides consultation via Whatsapp at $12 per consultation. Consultation hours are 8.30am – 5pm, mondays to fridays.
Besides telemedicine consultations, doctor anywhere also provides home care services such as vaccinations, health screening, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Additionally, they also provide chronic disease management programmes where they curate a personalised plan to help manage your chronic condition.
White coat’s operating hours are 9am to 5pm mondays to fridays, and 9am to 1pm on saturdays. They also provide medicine delivery, and can also prescribe medication for chronic illnesses.
Like how cloud kitchens can now enable you to start a restaurant or food business without a physical restaurant with high overheads, technology can now allow doctors to conduct their practice without physical clinics. I think once this takes off, it will never land.
So the next time you fall ill, maybe think about giving these services a go.