Jonathan Carr Brown, MD at Healthily, looks at the lessons learned post-COVID-19 and charts the rapid evolution of healthcare
Post-COVID-19, telehealth experienced an unprecedented boom, with virtual consultations becoming the new norm for those seeking medical advice.
However, recent developments such as Walmart Health and Optum pulling out of virtual healthcare, alongside the demise of once-prominent players like Babylon, have raised questions about the sustainability and effectiveness of teleconsultations in their current form.
The 4 problems with teleconsultations
While telehealth initially seemed like a leap forward into the 21st century for healthcare, closer examination reveals 4 fundamental flaws in the implementation and impact of teleconsultations.
Poor resource allocation Rather than adding to healthcare delivery, virtual consultations can become a substitute for face-to-face consultations. This can lead to issues such as the encouragement of the "worried well" who may not typically seek medical attention due to appointment scarcity, ultimately leading to unnecessary consultations and poor resource allocation.
Duplicating services Teleconsultations tend to duplicate services, with many patients referred to face-to-face consultations. This highlights a crucial limitation of virtual care — it's not always suitable for addressing complex or multifaceted health issues, thus promoting episodic rather than holistic care.
Doubts around scalability A finite number of healthcare professionals can provide quality virtual care. While the demand for telemedicine grows, the supply of skilled practitioners remains limited, potentially compromising the quality of care delivered in the long run.
Cost of customer acquisition We all get sick, right? But we are not all sick all the time. And when we are sick we are in a heightened state of anxiety and want quick answers from trusted sources. Telemedicine companies spend a fortune on health professionals but they spend even more money acquiring customers. This makes the business low-margin and hard to scale without buckets of marketing cash.
However, amidst these challenges, there’s an opportunity for virtual health to evolve with a new approach – teleconsultations 2.0.
The future: using AI to get to know your patient
This next phase of virtual healthcare must recognise the nuances of different patient segments and tailor its approach accordingly.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a pivotal role in this transformation by powering health navigation systems that segment patients based on their specific needs and suitability for telehealth.
The days of immediate access to virtual consultations are waning. AI health navigators like DotTM from Healthily will sit in front of all virtual consultation services to ensure efficiency for the consumer and the health practitioner in the future.
Teleconsultations 2.0 will understand that not all health-seeking behaviors are alike and that telemedicine is most effective as a targeted solution for specific patient cohorts.
By leveraging AI-driven segmentation, healthcare providers can optimise resource allocation, improve patient outcomes, and ensure that telehealth complements rather than substitutes traditional healthcare delivery models.
Revolutionising healthcare with trusted tech
In this landscape of evolving healthcare, Healthily stands out as a promising solution.
At Healthily we are used to solving problems around the use of generative AI in healthcare. Our AI provides symptom navigation that identifies health risks and highlights probable conditions. In doing this, we have already segmented the audience and mapped efficient service pathways.
Healthily represents the future of telehealth — a future where technology enhances rather than diminishes the quality of care.
As we navigate the complexities of modern healthcare let’s embrace the lessons learned from the rise and fall of teleconsultations and strive towards a future where innovation serves to improve, not detract from, the health and wellbeing of all.
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