Telemedicine: From a Hard Sell to a Booming Industry

Shalini P
Applozic
Published in
4 min readJun 21, 2021
Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare from a distance with information and medical consultation via electronic media. Time Magazine calls it “healing by wire”.

It’s not just the Covid-19, but also the accessibility that has been a major concern for the healthcare sector. In such conditions, telemedicine industry truly turned into a major game changer. But things were not exactly so promising for this industry earlier.

When the telemedicine industry came into existence, it was a hard sell. Healthcare providers thought it will not benefit them or the patients in any way. The patients also felt telemedicine apps are inefficient and difficult to sue. All in all, it was just like any other app in the on-demand business. Both the parties (healthcare providers and seekers) thought telemedicine apps are Amazon for medicine.

But things changed for good. Healthcare industry realized how telemedicine apps can improve healthcare for a country’s population, especially the rural population. The healthcare industry is now focusing on wider and faster adoption of telemedicine technology by masses.

With deeper penetration of mobile internet, rising affordability of smartphones, and more understanding of mobile apps, healthcare industry has realized telemedicine apps are vital for a healthier society.

Let’s take a quick look at the global Telemedicine Market Segmentation.

Global Telemedicine Market Segmentation (Source https://www.medgadget.com/)

Read About: 20 Best Telemedicine Apps for Providers and Patients in 2021

What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine is a technological amalgam of information, internet, and medical science. The primary focus of the telemedicine apps industry is to provide equal access to quality healthcare to all. Online platforms are a critical enabler when it comes to transforming the health system.

To keep patients and doctors safe, telemedicine apps have paved the way for safe, secure, virtual health care from the comfort of our homes.

Digital platforms are playing a vital role in improving the efficacy of the healthcare system globally. Telemedicine apps are helping healthcare providers improve the results significantly. With a sharp focus on the telemedicine services, healthcare professionals are able to improve things on the grassroots level. Even in the case of midlevel healthcare provision, telemedicine apps have made timely and best-possible care available.

In the current situation, these apps have proven to be the most efficient, fastest, and reasonable way to manage the crisis. Moreover, the telehealth also proved useful in bridging the rural–urban health divide.

Read About: 20 Best Telemedicine Apps for Providers and Patients in 2021

Telemedicine apps are also proving their utility when it comes to quarantine situations. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff don’t have to meet patients personally anymore. Telemedicine apps with a virtual visit feature make it possible for doctors to lend their services without the risk of exposure to the deadly virus. Experts from the healthcare industry had shared this right at the time pandemic started to unfold worldwide.

The picture created in the course of one year has transformed how medical professionals interact with the patients. As a matter of fact, instant gratification has also played a pivotal role in the rise of telemedicine apps. And that brings us to another question, which telemedicine one should choose?

I’ve created a detailed blog on the question. It is an elaborate list of the 20 best telemedicine apps for providers and patients in 2021. The list comprises of free as well as paid telemedicine apps that are making huge rounds in the industry right now. All the telemedicine apps are in the list are extremely useful for healthcare providers and seekers alike.

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Shalini P
Applozic
Writer for

7+ years in B2B SaaS as a Content Creator & Strategist | Sharing everything I have learnt about Apps, Products (Management) and the people behind their success.