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 the 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 telemedicine
Practo’s first-ever Insights Report is based on transactions by 5 crore users in the period of Mar 1 2020 – May 31st 2020.
Enclosed below are some key insights:
Gynaecology, GP and Dermatology emerged as the topmost 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 result 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 growth in a 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 job-related pressure & 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 topmost 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 here – LINK (attachment )
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.
*5 Crore represents the total traffic on Practo’s app/web pages
The insights report highlights important ailments and consultation related trends in the country. The information is aggregated, anonymized, and analyzed at scale. 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.
