Technology Changes The Shape Of Healthcare Among Women
In a recent report of Practo on India’s most comprehensive healthcare map on women, it was highlighted that online consultation empowers the women to seek medical aid for concerns which she may not be comfortable discussing in person.
The report also came up with surprising facts like women ageing more than 50 are also using the online platform for resolving their health issues which are 10 per cent of the Indian women and 45 per cent of women seeking online medical solutions.
The reasons cited in the report for the increase in the online medical consultation among women were easy accessibility, privacy and the trustworthy option provided by the internet. Also, it found that women were more active on online medical consultation platforms during working hours and late in the night.
Further, dermatology issues, stomach pain, kidney stone, chest pain, and breast cancer were common concerns among women seeking online medical consultation. Also, personal issues like depression, relationship consulting, PCOD, and other gynae problems were among the top issues on which internet is helping women out.
Dr Sanjay Sharma, Jt. Secretary cum Treasurer, Telemedicine Society of India said, “Access to healthcare for women is not limited to that one individual's health but has a wider impact on the community's health and wellbeing. It's important for women in all strata of the society, across urban, rural or remote villages to get access to doctors in a timely manner; not just for themselves but for their family which includes the elderly and children. Telehealth is the answer to this, where are the click of a button, women can connect with doctors anytime and for any issues - a routine or minor ailment or in emergency situations.”
Acknowledging the importance of technology in changing the face of the medical industry, he further added, “Technology has contributed to reducing infant mortality, maternal mortality, ensuring timely vaccinations for mothers to be and infants significantly. It’s heartening to see this technology reaching out to elderly, esp. women, who have taken very little initiative in the past to take care of their health proactively. It truly has empowered all sections of our society by simplifying the process significantly.”
Also, an increase in the penetration of the internet in remote areas, telemedicine has provided an option for the women residing there to connect with top doctors across the countries. Experts see the next phase of online consult growth, esp. among women, coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where getting a trusted doctor and specialist may be a challenge. Jaipur has registered the highest growth in this regard with 666% growth, closely followed by Visakhapatnam at 569% and Guwahati at 375%
In the online space, according to the report, diet and nutrition have emerged as the fastest growing healthcare concerns for online consultation, with a 321 per cent growth year on year, displaying the awareness and concern of healthy lifestyle among the women. Also, according to the study, Women use online consultation to discuss issues concerning their children as well. Paediatrics registers a 144 per cent growth in searches. Experts suggest women reach out to paediatricians especially at odd hours when there’s an emergency and for second opinions, mostly for their peace of mind.
On the other hand, physical medical or counselling appointments, relationship counselling has become one of the fastest-growing concern in women with an increase of 257 per cent in its bookings. Feminine problems like PCOD/PCOS has also led growth in physical appointments by 135 per cent.
Apart from providing quality medical consultation, telemedicine has also reduced the time taken for a consultation. According to the report, an average consultation takes just 60 seconds as compared to time spend at waiting, travelling and visiting the doctor.
The report also displayed positive signs of increased awareness of mental health among the women as Psychiatrist emerges as one of the top specialities in online consult. It quoted, “Experts point that women prefer discussing stigma-related or private matters with doctors online.”
While elaborating the report further, Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer said, “Women in India have made giant strides in all spheres of work and life. Often, they perform several roles at once as they take care of family, children, dependents and manage challenging situations at work. Responsible for managing and caregiving both at home and work, women often neglect their health and well-being. It's normal for doctors to come across cases and conditions that become acute over time as the patient was hesitant to seek help in the first place.”
Practo is a healthcare platform and its first first-ever healthcare map on Indian women is based on transactions by 6 crore women users in the period of Jan 2018 - December 2018. The aim of this report is to highlight the disease trends facing Indian women.
