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We all have suffered our share of troubles and concerns during the pandemic. When states were under lockdown, it was difficult to avail of the basic services too.
Among everything, getting medical consultation was largely affected as patients could not visit hospitals or see medical representatives due to the fear of the COVID-19 virus. That’s where the demand for online doctor consultations started to rise.
It is true that virtual health care is making a buzz in the medical industry, and the pandemic was the time when it was in full swing. According to the Rise of Telemedicine report prepared in 2020, online doctor consultation in India has significantly increased after the pandemic.
The report’s goal was to track the demand for online doctor consultation and what factors have resulted in a sudden spike in the numbers. To be precise, there is a whopping 502% spike in the number of patients interested in doctor consultation in India. It calls for a major revolution in telemedicine.
#1 Safer Approach
A majority of the months last year went in partial and complete lockdown throughout the country. It brought our lives to a standstill. Getting health consultation during an emergency situation without the fear of catching the deadly virus was unavoidable.
Hence, online doctor consultation seemed to be the safe and better option for many. Thanks to many reputed hospitals and heart care institutions that made live consultation available 24×7. Also, it safeguards people from catching infections and maintaining proper social distancing.
#2 Comfortable And Seamless
Another reason why people may have inclined towards online consultation is probably its ease. Unlike the physical consultation, you don’t need to stand in long queues and wait for hours to meet your doctor.
At online consultations, you simply have to schedule your meeting and only come at the designated time and date. It clearly reduced the uneasiness and troubles people had to go through during physical consultation. When people couldn’t get out during lockdown, online consultation was the only feasible option.
#3 Better Availability of Doctor
There were times when you had to return home disappointed because your desired doctor didn’t show up. Well, you couldn’t take such chances during the pandemic.
So, online consultation emerged as the best alternative. Here, you can check the availability of your specialist before scheduling your meet. This removes the chaos and ensures efficient consultation.
Some hospitals even allow patients to personally check-up with the doctor regarding their availability. This method came in handy during the pandemic to resolve the issue of availability with ease.
#4 Affordable
Getting e-consultations were made cheaper during the pandemic. It gave people the freedom to get easy and instant consultation at a much lesser price. This can be one of the biggest reasons why people were inclining towards online consultation in India.
Many hospitals and healthcare centres have marginally reduced the costs of their online consultation. This was a major relief to those who were looking for quality e-consultation during the pandemic.
Still, there are plenty of health services that have been offering health consultation online at an affordable price. It is predicted that this year as well, there will be a massive increase in demand for online consultation.
The Bottom Line
Plenty of things has been changed after the pandemic, and still, we are hustling with leading a new lifestyle altogether. Last year, people had to combat many issues, and getting medical consultation was one among them. During this period, online doctor consultation increased in India. It was a safer and seamless approach to get a quality medical consultation.
According to many reports, it was found that people above the age of 50 years were mainly taking its benefits. The telemedicine industry is continuously growing, paving the way for virtual health care solutions. This year as well, you can witness an impacting growth in the number of doctor consultation in India.
The above mentioned were some of the possible reasons why online and live consultations were popular during the pandemic and why it will continue.
Summary: Pandemic has taught us many things, and getting online doctor consultation is one among them. Last year, there has been a major spike in doctor consultations in India. Read more to learn why.