Telemedicine: What Slows Down the Healthcare of the Future

The implementation of remote healthcare telehealth services reformed medicine. The infamous pandemic accelerated the growth of the already substantially expanding industry. With the skyrocketing investment in virtual care, new legal regulations that expand the possibilities of remote healthcare, the telehealth industry is predicted to expand from $3 billion to $250 billion.

Yet, many barriers are hampering telemedicine’s success. This article explores the challenges of telemedicine and examines solutions to resolve current issues. Not only did the pandemic accelerate the implementation of telemedicine, but remote health services became a necessity. 2020 McKinsey research reported that almost 50% of patients opted for telemedicine instead of canceled medical consultations.

Pandemic allowed those who were hesitant to try out telemedicine. Still, there are many challenges to overcome. According to CRICO’s national CBS Database, 66% of malpractice cases in telemedicine from 2014 to 2018 were connected to misdiagnosis. Undoubtedly, misdiagnosis is a serious issue that slows down recovery and can worsen a patient’s health. 

High rates of misdiagnosis affect the patients’ health and the cost of healthcare services for providers. Wrong diagnosis leads to more considerable expenses on medications and adjusting the unfit, potentially hazardous treatment. Nevertheless, telemedicine is a part of healthcare, not immune to general issues. Misdiagnoses are not the unique drawback of remote medical inspections.