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 tele-medicine
Practo’s first-ever Insights Report is based on transactions by 5 crore users in the period of Mar 1 2020 – May 31st 2020.
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.
To know about the detailed insights and what the doctors have to say, please refer to the comprehensive insights report.
Practo : Healthcare online
For millions of people, Practo is their trusted home, where they know they will find the healing touch. Practo is the place that connects them to everything that they need to take good care of themselves and their families, assessing health issues, finding the right doctor, managing records securely, and finding new ways to live a longer, healthier life. Healthcare providers and other doctor partners use Practo because it is the trusted home for health for millions of people. Practo provides a definitive platform for them to build their presence, to grow their practice or business, and to engage their patients in a way that was never possible before. As technology becomes an integral part of healthcare, Practo has also become an essential enabler in helping doctors understand the nuances of managing and securely storing all health data. Practo encrypts all data with 256-bit encryption (many banks use just 128-bit), uses HIPAA compliant data centres, and is one of the few healthcare companies to be ISO 27001 certified. Today, Practo is present in 15 countries, helps 18 crore+ patients a year, and connects patients with 1 lakh+ verified healthcare providers.
This first of a kind report aims to highlight the disease trends faced by Indians and the need for enabling delivery of essential healthcare services using technology, as people practiced physical and social distancing, in the last three months. Telemedicine helped crores of Indians suffering from various ailments in addition to assisting suspected COVID-19 patients. We hope these findings better equip our healthcare providers to understand disease patterns and address them effectively, and help others become aware of their options when looking to address their healthcare needs.
