Fostering trust and transparency in telemedicine through reviews and ratings

 In 2001, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) connected the Apollo Hospital in Chennai with the Apollo Rural Hospital in Aragonda village in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, as part of a pilot project for telemedicine. From humble beginnings, telemedicine has expanded over time, gaining significant attention over the past few years. As healthcare continues to undergo rapid change, accelerated by digitisation, telemedicine platforms have become an integral part of the evolution, providing people with increased access to healthcare and encouraging equity. 

 The concept of telemedicine has evolved considerably since ISRO’s Telemedicine Pilot Project in 2001, especially during the pandemic era, and it shows promising potential for exponential growth in the future. The rapid exchange of patient information, timely advice, and the ability to connect with patients in remote areas are driving factors behind its increasing demand. The Indian telemedicine market is projected to reach a value of US$5.4 billion by 2025, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31 per cent.

Addressing India’s Healthcare Challenges through Telemedicine

In addition to being an attractive market, Telemedicine also helps to address the challenges in public health, primary healthcare access, and sanitation. While certain states are making significant progress in ensuring basic medical facilities for the masses, they often face constraints such as lack of awareness, limited access due to location, budgetary limitations, inadequate facilities, and a shortage of trained staff.

With approximately 60 per cent of Indian hospitals located in urban areas, serving only 32 per cent of the population, the remaining 68 per cent residing in rural areas face limited access to quality hospitals and medical practitioners. Telemedicine holds the potential to bridge this gap and deliver healthcare services to all corners of the country.

Reviews & Ratings on Telemedicine Platforms Enable a Patient-centric System

Healthcare Delivery, in spite of its highly regulated nature in terms of qualifications, licenses and approvals needed, is still highly opaque for most patients as the health outcomes and patient satisfaction scores are not standardised or publicly available for most doctors and hospitals. The experience of the number of patients treated by doctors counts for a lot as medicine is not just a science but art. Telemedicine platforms provide individuals with detailed and accurate information about a doctor’s expertise and experience across multiple specialties. In addition to sharing detailed information about the health provider and clinic, a vital component of these platforms to boost trust and transparency are reviews and ratings (R&R), which play a major role in creating a patient-centric system.

 R&R is akin to word-of-mouth publicity drawn from in-clinic experiences and enhances transparency through patients’ views. Patients can provide details about their experience in terms of ease of booking, adherence to clinic timings, quality of the clinic, and the facilities provided. Such reviews and ratings are crucial pieces of information that help patients make an informed choice. 

Across the globe, numerous developed nations rely on online reviews and ratings to inform healthcare decisions. Systems in countries such as the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia furnish patients with vital information to instill trust in their healthcare providers. For example, a study in the US showed that 77 per cent of patients looked at online reviews before booking an appointment.

Facilitating digital healthcare delivery

Reviews and ratings are not only crucial for patients, but also for healthcare providers. Reviews enable the healthcare professionals to engage with the patients thereby improving the doctor-patient interactions. The ratings can also highlight areas that need improvement in terms of patient experience, such as interpersonal interactions, ease of making an appointment, and overall clinic experience among others. Cumulatively, this helps in facilitating the creation of a patient-centric system that places patient experience and trust at the forefront.

 The integration of technology into healthcare is best exemplified by the growth of telemedicine. Digital healthcare platforms that support telemedicine are thereby designed to provide all the information necessary for patients to make informed decisions. Moreover, R&R further helps build a healthcare ecosystem that hinges on patient-centric care and trust, along with efficient and superior delivery of services.

 In today’s day and age, digital healthcare is here to stay and set to address problems of reach and accessibility, however, the administration must ensure that patients always remain at the center of all developments. For that to happen, it is vital to create an ecosystem that encourages all healthcare institutions and professionals to practice a continuous improvement mindset – all in the interest of the patient.

Takeaway

In our modern, interconnected world, where information is easily accessible with just a click, patients value transparency like never before. They seek insights into what awaits them when they step into your facility, and patient reviews provide them with a window into the overall patient experience. When it comes to telemedicine platforms, online reviews and ratings foster trust and transparency. Therefore, managing patient reviews effectively is crucial for enhancing a healthcare provider’s reputation, and thriving. In the absence of reviews and ratings, patients would navigate the intricate healthcare system with limited access to a doctor’s credentials and patient reviews. They would have to depend solely on recommendations from friends and family. This highlights the significance of reliable reviews and recommendations in enabling informed decision-making.