Demand for telehealth services for both COVID-19 cases and other specialties has increased dramatically in recent weeks. Saúde Digital Brasil states that with each new wave of the disease, the number of remote services doubles in the subsequent phase, demonstrating the population's great adherence to the model.
The demand for services and technologies that enable remote medical care continues to rise. According to Saúde Digital Brasil (Brazilian Association of Telemedicine and Digital Health Companies), telemedicine companies are experiencing one of the highest peaks in service since the practice began to be regulated at the start of the pandemic. These numbers are quite shocking for the healthcare system.
It is estimated that the number of people seeking telemedicine at the end of May already corresponds to half of those who used the service during the period of emergence of Ômicron, between December 2021 and February 2022, considered the largest wave of the disease in Brazil.
Caio Soares, president of the non-profit organization created to bring together entities that operate in the telemedicine service provision chain, explains that observing the periods of stability, pre and post-Omicrom, for example, the number of appointments doubles with each new wave. In other words, patients no longer want to go to the doctor's office unless it is absolutely necessary. They prefer to receive care from home, whenever possible.
“The growth in the current wave we are experiencing is 100%, compared to the previous one. When we are talking about periods between major waves, looking at the previous period of stability, this level is 50% higher. This means that the adoption and care that people experienced at times when the disease was strongest helped them extend their use to other situations”, emphasizes Soares.
However, although most of the services are related to COVID-19 cases, coinciding with the increase in testing and positivity, making the current phase the second largest wave, demand has also increased for other specialties. Mental health (psychiatry and psychology), musculoskeletal diseases (orthopedics) and pediatrics are the specialties with the highest demand, according to the executive. This behavior reflects both the scenario of companies that provide services broadly, as well as doctors who are increasingly seeking telemedicine tools to be able to see their patients in their offices.
“Teleconsultations for other specialties continue to grow, even during the waves. Even more so after the recently published CFM resolution, which guarantees legal, ethical and legal support. And when the law for full regulation is already in the final stretch: it has passed through the National Congress, is being processed in the Senate and should soon be sanctioned by the President of the Republic,” concludes Soares.
