Asia-Pacific Telemedicine Is Here to Stay

The Asia-Pacific region is entering a new, post-Covid-19 era for technology-enabled healthcare delivery, in which the benefit of telemedicine is evident. Telemedicine has proven to be particularly effective in lowering the costs for early triage and non-acute care, compared to in-person primary consultations.

While telemedicine had begun penetrating many Asian countries pre-Covid-19, its adoption nearly doubled during the pandemic (2019‒2021) across all Asian-Pacific countries except Australia, where the adoption increased ninefold. A recent Bain Survey of 2,300 consumers in the Asia-Pacific region found that while the rate of telehealth uptake has slowed since the end of the pandemic, telemedicine has maintained high penetration levels even after patients return to physical interactions with doctors.

Telemedicine’s ease and accessibility have tapped into consumers’ sustained focus on convenience, to the point that traditional notions equating hospitals as the preeminent healthcare providers across the Asia-Pacific region are now beginning to shift. While physical interactions remain relevant, the emerging digital delivery models are normalizing online-offline.

In response to the new digital norms, offline heritage healthcare providers will need to future-proof their technology infrastructures and digitize legacy processes. With this approach, they can ensure the delivery of an omnichannel patient experience that efficiently delivers top-quality care.