WHAT’S UP, DOC?
The COVID pandemic truly revolutionized the health industry. The telehealth market got a huge boost in 2020, contrary to the economy in general.
Fairly uncommon prior to the confinement, teleconsultations became commonplace in health.
Sources : TVA Nouvelles, Les Québécois ont pris goût à la télémédecine, August 2021 / Canadian Medical Association and Canada Health Infoway, August 2021
No looking back
Reduced wait times for users, appointments in the comfort of your home . . . Remote consultations will never completely replace a visit to the doctor’s office, but the practice is very popular among patients. As such, 85% of Quebecers say they are satisfied, and 75% want these services to continue in the future.
Potential benefits of adopting telemedicine in Canada:
Source : La Presse, Je veux vous voir sur mon iPhone, docteur, September 2020 / according to pre-pandemic studies
A very lucrative, yet somewhat unstructured market
Heath tech businesses are doing very well. And Quebec has a front-row seat! This is especially apparent in Dialogue’s (a virtual healthcare service provider for businesses) entry into the stock market and the success of Olive, the Netflix of healthcare, which offers an alternative to the traditional backed up healthcare circuit.
Source : Markets and Markets via l’Actualité, Un médecin dans son téléphone, February 2021
In parallel, the government is working on implementing a web-based aggregator for making medical appointments online. The goal is to centralize the current offering, which is divided between the Bonjour Santé site and others. And never far behind, the digital giants have long been ogling the management of healthcare systems and their related data, on an international scale.
The entire health industry is going virtual
Telehealth is still in its early stages
Beyond virtual consultations, telehealth offers a world of possibilities. In a not-so-distant future, you can expect connected devices and censors, and even screening robots to revolutionize the practice in terms of follow-ups and diagnostics, remotely. In France, teleconsultation offices have already begun emerging in various shopping centres!
