Telemedicine development worldwide

Telemedicine is enjoying extraordinary growth worldwide. Unrecognized or even rejected by the general public just a few years ago, it is now very popular. According to the French National Health Insurance, the number of remote consultations has been rising steadily over the past two years.

Is this just a passing fad, triggered by the current health situation? Or does telemedicine represent the future of medicine? The question deserves to be asked.

The development of telemedicine, a direct consequence of the pandemic

As a reminder, telemedicine encompasses all medical practices performed via telecommunication technologies. This includes teleconsultation, tele-expertise, telemonitoring, teleassistance and regulation.

A regulated medical practice in France

In France, telemedicine has been regulated since the reform of July 21, 2009 by the HSPT law (Hospital, Health, Patients, Territory) law. It has also been governed by the French Public Health Code since 2010.

At first, the idea of teleconsulting a doctor didn't appeal to patients until the Covid-19 pandemic. The boom in telemedicine in France can be explained by health restrictions.

An excellent alternative to healthcare facilities worldwide

Telemedicine is gradually being deployed around the world. Developed countries are far more advanced in this field. Let's start with Germany, which authorized the first teleconsultation. This decision led to the development of telemedicine in Germany. In Germany, teleconsultation can even be used to obtain sick leave in a matter of hours. Numerous pilot projects and experiments are underway to promote the use of remote appointments.

How is telemedicine being deployed in Norway? Recognized as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, Norway has also been one of the forerunners of telehealth projects. Today, the use of telemedicine has become part of Norwegians' daily routine. The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) enables better follow-up by sharing sensitive information with all healthcare professionals.

The benefits of global teleconsultation

Telemedicine hasimproved access to care despite the confinement. Firstly, it has enabled patients to be cared for more quickly. This was achieved by making it easier to book appointments, choose a doctor and consult a healthcare practitioner.

E-health has proved a practical solution at a time when direct contact with patients is a thing of the past. It has also enabled doctors to monitor patients suffering from coronavirus infection via teleconsultation.

All over the world, remote medicine is being used as an alternative to visiting a healthcare facility.

Telemedicine: the future of global medicine?

Remote medicine has been rapidly adopted in many developed countries. However, developing countries are finding it difficult to implement. Lack of infrastructure and the digital divide explain why e-medical projects are so difficult to set up.

According to figures shared by Assurance Maladie, the number of teleconsultations increased a hundredfold in the space of two months, between February and April 2020. It almost tripled between 2019 and 2021, rising from 500,000 to over 1.3 million consultations at the start of the year.

Despite the arrival of the vaccine and the lifting of health restrictions, the number of patients using it is not declining. What's more, over 84% of general practitioners and specialists are in favor of the vaccine.

A regulatory framework for telemedicine worldwide

The best way to see how far telehealth has progressed internationally is to find out when the regulatory framework is put in place.

In Germany, an e-health law was passed in 2015. Morocco, Japan, Singapore and Sweden have already introduced regulatory frameworks for exchanges between healthcare professionals and their patients.

Telemedicine is still at an experimental stage, particularly in terms of the transmission of sensitive patient data, reimbursement and possible medical procedures. However, the number of teleconsultations is on the increase, thanks to the streamlining of regulations in place around the world.

A medical practice encouraged by Social Security

In France, all medical acts falling within the scope of telemedicine have been covered by Social Security since 2018. This also explains patients' enthusiasm for the practice.

The fact is, telemedicine helps to improve healthcare provision by saving time for both patients and doctors. By eliminating distance, it reduces the healthcare costs incurred by travelling to a health center and transferring between different doctors: specialists, general practitioners, surgeons, dentists, independent healthcare professionals, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare professionals.

In France, telemedicine is part of a national strategy to reduce medical deserts.

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