New Delhi: The Covid-19 lockdown is being eased now, but in the months since it was enforced, it has pushed many Indians to seek telemedicine over one-on-one session with doctors, even as some users complain that the process is expensive and not as effective.
India has a number of telemedicine platforms, such as 1mg, DocsApp, PharmEasy, Practo, AskApollo and DocPrime, which provide online consultation services.
Speaking to ThePrint, 1mg and DocsApp said they are receiving more online patients now than before the lockdown. According to them, the fear over getting infected with Covid-19 is pushing people to seek online consultations.
In the high number of virtual visits these platforms are getting, patients are particularly seeking consultations on flu-related symptoms due to the Covid-19 outbreak. But other specialities have also seen a rise in consultations.
“After the coronavirus lockdown, our e-consultation queries have more than doubled, with fever-related consultations growing 450 per cent,” said Ankur Gigras, vice-president and head of e-commerce business at online medical store and healthcare app 1mg.
“Given the lockdown, the patients are more inclined to consult a doctor since it doesn’t expose them to the risk of infection. Similarly, many doctors too don’t want their patients to get exposed and are willing to come on e-consulting platforms to render medical guidance,” Gigras said.
Also read: These 7 states make up 80% of India’s Covid cases and deaths, govt study finds
Telemedicine for non-Covid treatments
The number of Covid-19 cases in India is rising fast, with total infections now at nearly 3 lakh. However, while virtual platforms have recorded an increase in flu-related e-consultations, they have also seen a growth in consultations of other specialities.
Dr Gowri Kulkarni, head of medical operations at DocsApp, said, “People are also seeking consultations for non-Covid reasons such as chronic disease management, diabetes, hypertension, skin issues, mental health issues etc.”
As of May, DocsApp told ThePrint that out of the total consultations on the platform, on average, 19 per cent of consultations were related to flu, cough and cold.
1mg also witnessed a jump in demand for other specialities such as ENT, diabetes and dermatology.
Also read: Fever, cough, fear or myths — Indians are turning to e-doctors for all coronavirus ‘cures’
‘Not everything can be solved online’
In the reviews for the telemedicine apps, users complained about the platforms selling medicines at hiked prices, delay in conducting lab tests, expensive consultation fee, among others.
Asked if e-consultations are more expensive than one-on-one visits, Kulkarni said, “We have a uniform consultation fee. To incentivise, there are certain subscriptions like a gold subscription which people are able to access for themselves and their family members.”
A single consultation at DocsApp costs around Rs 400 and there’s a one-time yearly fee at Rs 1,999.
A 1mg user complained that doctors with different specialities are being assigned for their cases.
To this, Gigras said, “Typically, the same doctor is assigned in case the patient as a follow-up query and the doctor is available. In case the patient comes for a new consult, a new doctor might get assigned on the basis of availability. It is similar to the physical setting, the preference is that your doctor is available but when they aren’t, then another doctor provides the service.”
Another user complained that the app charges for medicines at a 40 per cent higher rate from its actual price. But Gigras said the app doesn’t charge anything more than the maximum retail price mentioned on the medicines.
Some users of Practo asserted that there were many technical issues in the handling of the app.
ThePrint reached Practo for a comment but there was no response until the time of publishing this report. This report will be updated when a reply is received.
Asked about the shortcomings of these apps, Kulkarni said “not everything can be solved online”.
“A doctor can still understand what the problem is over a video call. But, if the situation demands a physical consultation then that is the way to go,” she said. “For instance, mental health and sexual health issues can be solved online because people might find it difficult to go out and talk about it but at the same time a physical consultation may not be warranted on the first go.”
Telemedicine proves to be a good medium only when symptoms can be described over audio or video chat. “If a physician can understand the symptoms well and can diagnose the underlying condition, the medium should not matter. However, wherever the doctor feels the need to physically inspect the patient, they should advise a physical consult,” Gigras said.
“Over a period of time, the doctors and patients will get comfortable with the right way to leverage telemedicine, and the onus is on us to develop technology product that can make the experience as effective,” he said.
Also read: India’s Covid recoveries outnumbering active cases holds little meaning right now: Experts
Is telemedicine accessible for all?
There are concerns that telemedicine isn’t accessible to everyone in India — particularly in the smaller regions. It only aids the middle or upper class, “restricted by 36% internet penetration in India”.
Kulkarni, however, doesn’t agree. “Over 60 per cent to 65 per cent people from Tier 2 to Tier 3 cities have come to us. Typically, we have a biased thought process that technology is adapted only in urban areas. But, it only depends on who needs it more,” she said.
“A small town may not have the specialists required to take care of a particular problem. But technology bridges that gap. We also have a uniform consultation fee across India,” she said.
‘Demand will remain’
Telemedicine practitioners believe this demand for e-consultations will remain even after the lockdown is lifted completely.
“Although there are situations where patients need face to face consultation, telemedicine is here to stay for things which can be taken care of online. We are hoping to get more guidelines from apex medical bodies so this can be more streamlined,” said Kulkarni.
DocsApp said over 70 per cent of health issues can be diagnosed and treated online, such as issues related to gynaecology, mental health and dermatology. On an average, only 4 per cent online consultations were referred for a physical examination.
“Post the lockdown too, we believe that patients would stick to telemedicine due to the convenience it renders and doctors would remain active on this channel to keep it as an alternative to physical consultations,” said Gigras.
Also read: Delhi already out of ICUs, will exhaust ventilators this week, claims govt study