For the already overburdened healthcare system, video consultations could prove to be a reliable, convenient and cost-effective solution to bridge the gap in healthcare availability for various patient segments. While video consultations have their own set of challenges, such as patient adoption and data security over communication mediums, they offer a smart way forward in the post-Covid world, if envisaged as a digital transformation opportunity. Therefore, telemedicine needs to expand its capabilities to become more immersive, efficient and be regarded as a customer experience imperative for the next-generation organization.
This would be possible if telemedicine is focused on reimagining itself, on the foundations of technology, data, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), operations and business strategy in the short-to-medium term. It also needs to sharpen its focus on the core proposition—to offer efficient medical assistance and patient care.
In this scenario, the Kwik.Health framework aims to deconstruct telemedicine and video consultations into moments of heightened awareness and create opportunities for exceptional patient experience, at much lower costs.
This paper is intended to be a thought-starter—it highlights the current stresses and challenges faced by telemedicine as a practice, proposes opportunities for value-driven change, discusses benefits for both healthcare personnel and patients and presents options for a way forward.