5 crore Indians accessed healthcare online in the last three months
Practo’s Insights Report finds Telemedicine helped doctors, patients stay connected as people practiced physical/social distancing
Report findings:
● There was a 500% increase in online doctor consultations since March 2020
● 80% of all telemedicine users experienced it for the first time
● 44% of the teleconsultations were from non-metro cities
● In-person doctor visits dropped by 67%
● Indians consulted their doctors 2 times per month, using telemedicine
Practo’s first-ever Insights Report is based on transactions by 5 crore users in the period of Mar 1 2020 - May 31st 2020.
Enclosed below are some key insights:
● Gynaecology, GP and Dermatology emerged as the top most consulted specialities: Together, they accounted for 51% of the overall consultations
● Tele-ENT witnessed 600% growth: Seasonal allergies were confused with COVID-19 symptoms
● Tele-Orthopedics was among the top consulted speciality by millenials: Bad work postures resulted in back pain among millennials leading to an increase of 400%
● Tele-Gastroenterology received a large number of consults from first time users: Majority of the consults were related to digestive problems caused by a sudden drop in active lifestyles
● Tele-Dermatology witnessed a growth in newer set of queries on skin issues caused by stress: Stress has been having an adverse effect on people’s skin, hair, nails apart from the regular issues that are common during summer
● Tele-Ophthalmology saw the highest growth among other specialities, grew by 700%: With a significant amount of time being spent in front of screens and the rise in irregular sleeping patterns, queries related to eye and vision increased significantly
● Mental health concerns rose notably due to uncertainty, loss of income, and job-related pressure besides COVID-19 fears
● One in every three consults from women were for Gynaecology
● Delay in immunization worries parents of newborns, Tele-Paediatrics witnesses 350% growth
● COVID-19 continues to be India’s top most concern: Unsurprisingly, concerns related to COVID-19 grew by 200% with 50% of all GP consults accounted for Coronavirus related symptoms
“Telehealth has multiple applications, optimal care and virtual care is possible and extremely helpful in a pandemic scenario like COVID-19. It uses high definition transmission and clarity to provide rapid, accurate and real time consultation from professionals with expertise. Healthcare professionals can evaluate, diagnose and treat in a seamless environment. Patients are proactively using healthcare to manage their health and telehealth is a great alternative and has the potential to reach exponential levels”, Dr C M A Belliappa, General Physician, Bangalore.
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