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According to the consulting arm of the American healthcare multinational IQVIA , faceto-face consultations have seen a sharp decline across Southeast Asia
Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare offers telehealth services
computing , have seen steady progress in recent years . They offer patients better value and more convenience , while giving health providers greater operational flexibility and efficiency .
If the current pandemic has a positive side it is that Malaysian hospitals and their peers in neighbouring countries have been forced to ramp up and turbocharge their skills and expertise in these areas .
According to the consulting arm of the American healthcare multinational IQVIA , face-to-face consultations have seen a sharp decline across Southeast Asia , especially in chronic disease management , mainly fuelled by patient fears of contracting COVID-19 when visiting medical facilities .
At the same time , there has been a corresponding increase in the adoption of virtual consultations — so-called telemedicine — with app-based surgeries growing especially in countries with better digital infrastructure , such as Singapore , Malaysia , and Thailand .
Chronic disease specialities are expected to shift the most towards telemedicine across Southeast Asia following the pandemic , largely due to behavioural changes among patients and stakeholders , such as encouragement by governments and the support of insurers .
While the pandemic ’ s aftermath will create many new opportunities , IQVIA also warns that challenges lie ahead . For instance , limited access to high-speed internet or low smartphone penetration could continue to hamper the ability of patients to adopt telemedicine or participate in video consultations in the Philippines , Indonesia , and Vietnam .
In all the countries surveyed , concerns also remain over the potential gap in the quality of care between face-to-face and virtual consultations , along with fears over data privacy through the use of third-party platforms .
Another challenge is that absent or ambiguous regulatory guidance could make clinicians apprehensive about using telemedicine due to potential legal or regulatory issues . And a lack of integration among different systems and schemes could stymie further adoption across Southeast Asia .
To overcome these hurdles , IQVIA suggests that regulators collaborate more fully with healthcare providers to generate clear guidelines and provide licences to regulate the telemedicine industry .
More partnerships will also be needed between insurance providers and telemedicine companies for tailored healthcare plans , just as AXA Thailand has done in providing free access for its policyholders to Doctor Raksa , a telemedicine service provider .
In Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur-headquartered Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare ( RSDH ) offers telehealth services that include virtual consultations with a number of specialists as well as rehabilitative therapies .
During the peak of the pandemic , RSDH launched a virtual consultation platform , Telehealth Plus , at a time when social distancing and non-essential contact had first become the norm . It focused on providing patients healthcare access from their homes for continuity of care and more positive outcomes .
It also set out to ensure there was equity of care by offering services to both patients living near its facilities and those at the furthest reaches . The healthcare provider is also rolling out the platform at its facilities in Indonesia and Hong Kong .
“ We were not alone in this sector , but Telehealth Plus was unique when it came onto the market , as it could also be used for general health screening consultations and the provision of selected allied health services , such as sessions with physiotherapists , occupational therapists , speech therapists , clinical psychologists and dietitians , to name a few ,” Dr Jacob Thomas , group medical advisor to RSDH , told Global Health Asia-Pacific .
“ Consumers are now looking at spending less time in public spaces , which include hospitals , and hence it ’ s essential we look at evolving how we deliver care from the comfort of their own homes ,” he added .
Since its launch , RSDH ’ s platform has been most popular among paediatrics , urology , and dermatology patients , while it ’ s also been a popular choice for therapy sessions for children with special needs .
“ We find that it ’ s essential to always identify if virtual consultation is the right fit for the particular healthcare practitioner , the specialty in question , the patient , and the caregiver .
“ As virtual care remains new in the healthcare delivery space , whether for those delivering or receiving the care , there are elements of apprehensiveness , but once experienced , we ’ ve had
46 NOVEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com