Technology is changing healthcare, making telehealth an essential part of medical services. As we move into 2024, new advancements in video conferencing, AI, and other telehealth trends improve patient care and help doctors work more efficiently.
So, what does 2024 hold for us? In this article, Empeek highlights the key telehealth trends 2024 to watch for in the coming years.
Telehealth Industry Trends in Numbers
Technology telehealth trends focus on improving patient care and simplifying the lives of healthcare providers, payers, and caregivers. Telemedicine software allows healthcare providers to connect staff, organize hospitals’ work, manage treatment, and improve patients’ well-being in many other ways.
Recent statistics reflect the steady growth of the telemedicine industry and the increasing use of online services. Whereas the telemedicine market was worth $70 billion in 2023, it is expected to reach $225 billion in 2030.
Nearly 84% of physicians use telemedicine weekly, with 40% incorporating it into their daily practice. Video consultations are the most common means of communication, followed by audio-only phone visits. Psychiatrists and endocrinologists reported the highest daily telemedicine usage, with 84% and 57%, respectively. (Graph 2.)
Patient adoption of telemedicine has also grown significantly, particularly for minor illnesses and prescription care, reaching 80%. About 60% of patients have at least three virtual visits in a year, driven by convenience and efficiency. Telemedicine is widely used for routine check-ups, follow-ups, and medication management. Most patients (76%) have reported that telemedicine improved their access to healthcare services.
Telemedicine significantly enhanced patient access, reduced no-show rates, and improved or maintained treatment adherence for 77% of physicians. Most patients reported that their care was as good as or better than in-person visits, with 85% experiencing increased satisfaction.
Where Are We Standing Now: General Telehealth Market Trends
Before discussing future virtual care trends, let’s examine the current industry landscape. These telehealth utilization trends have been in the market for years and remain strong.
Chronic Care Management
As the world’s population ages, the share of chronic diseases that require ongoing care is on the rise. According to NCOA research, 94.9% of adults aged 60 and older have at least one chronic condition, while 78.7% have two or more. Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are becoming more common. This demographic trend underscores the critical need for effective chronic disease management solutions.
Besides, 87% of adults aged 65+ are willing to stay in their current home as they age. This means they need quality remote care, which is only possible with telemedicine software. Fortunately, the healthcare tech market already offers handy mobile applications that allow the elderly to communicate with their physicians, share health indicators, and stay in touch with caregivers. The U.S. complex and chronic condition management market is projected to reach approximately $15.93 billion by 2033.
Mental Health
A survey of people from 31 different countries found that mental health was identified as the biggest health problem facing their country in 2023, surpassing concerns such as cancer, stress, and obesity. This indicates a rising awareness and demand for mental health support worldwide. Telehealth solutions offer a cheaper alternative to therapy sessions, allowing people to get on-demand help regardless of location. With over 50,000,000 downloads on Google Play and unprecedented popularity, the meditation app Calm proves the growing importance of telehealth mental health software.
Hybrid Care Models
The blend of virtual and in-person care is becoming more common. This telehealth trend in healthcare offers flexibility and convenience. Patients can choose between virtual consultations and in-person visits based on their needs.
For routine check-ups, follow-up visits, or consultations for minor ailments, patients can opt for virtual appointments, saving time and reducing the need for travel. On the other hand, for more complex conditions that require physical examination or diagnostic tests, in-person visits are available. This dual approach ensures that patients receive appropriate care without compromising on convenience.
These key telehealth trends impacted telemedicine software development services last year and will determine what software is popular in the market. Yet, some new trends in telehealth are gaining traction, so you should also consider adopting them to stay competitive.
5 Future Telehealth Trends in 2024 and Beyond
Technology and telemedicine solutions, in particular, will undoubtedly keep affecting the outlook of the healthcare industry. Learn how IoT, big data, augmented reality, generative AI, and other trends evolve in 2024 and beyond.
Read also: What you need to know before starting a telemedicine business
Telemedicine Trend #1. EHR-Embedded Telehealth
The integration of telehealth services with EHR is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. When telehealth platforms are embedded within EHR systems, physicians can seamlessly access and record patient information in one place. This integration reduces the need to switch between multiple tools, which can be time-consuming and result in errors.
Integrated systems give healthcare providers a comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history, current treatments, and recent telehealth consultations. This improves the quality of care and enhances operational efficiency. Physicians can quickly update patient records during virtual visits, ensuring that all information is accurate and up-to-date. Additionally, integrated telehealth and EHR systems support better data interoperability, facilitating smoother communication and coordination among healthcare providers.
Telemedicine Trend #2. Telehealth IoMT and Wearables
IoT solutions and wearables are among the most prominent industry trends in telemedicine. The global internet-of-medical-things (IoMT) market will grow to $588.9 billion in 2030. Healthcare technology providers invest in software that connects patients and physicians through physical devices and allows users to track their health independently.
IoMT tools enable clinicians to monitor patients while they stay home or do anything else. Modern smart beds, inhalers, ECG, and EKG monitors have sensors that can gather and exchange information with telemedicine apps through an internet connection. This increases patients’ mobility, reduces the load on offline healthcare facilities, and allows clinicians to monitor people’s health. IoMT telemedicine and wearables can also remind patients to take medications, measure vitals, set alerts, and complete critical activities.
The Empeek team recently developed a comprehensive remote cardiac monitoring system that includes a mobile ECG patch and a cloud-based application to process real-time cardiac data for thousands of patients.
Telemedicine Trend #3. Gamification
The global healthcare gamification market is expected to grow by 22.6% from 2023 to 2030, thanks to more people using smartphones, widespread internet access, and the rise in chronic diseases that require continuous management.
Gamification enhances patient engagement, education, and adherence with interactive and rewarding elements. Telehealth apps use quizzes, challenges, and rewards to educate patients about managing chronic conditions like diabetes, keeping them motivated and engaged through earning points or badges. They also encourage adherence to treatment plans and healthier lifestyles by setting daily goals for physical activity, medication, or diet, with rewards such as virtual trophies or progress charts.
A good example is Mango Health, a medication management app that turns adherence into a game. Users set reminders to take their medications and earn points for consistent adherence. The app also provides educational content about medications and their side effects, making it a comprehensive tool for managing health through gamification.
Telemedicine Trend #4. Augmented and Virtual Reality for Quality Care
Combining telemedicine with augmented reality brings healthcare services to the next level and is one of the leading trends in telehealth. Such solutions enable specialists to learn more effectively and medical personnel to perform procedures more accurately.
For example, when caregivers deliver patients in transportation, they may need to use medical devices that require specialized training. In this case, augmented reality can be life-saving. Tailored applications will analyze the patient’s data and provide real-time guidelines on how to help the person and operate the device.
Augmented reality has many other applications — from smart glasses displaying patient data during surgery to vein scanners.
One prominent example is helping people deal with chronic pain using guided cognitive behavioral therapy instructions. VR works better and has fewer side effects than regular pain medications. This improves patients’ lives and reduces cost and time spent in the hospital.
Surgeons are also getting into AR. They use it to see digital info while they work, so there is no more glancing at separate screens. AR is also handy in wound examination. It helps determine how bad a cut is, how it’s healing, and the best way to treat it—all without being invasive.
Telemedicine Trend #5. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Generative AI is an emerging telehealth trend in healthcare. 82% of healthcare providers have already implemented or plan to implement governance and oversight structures specifically for Gen AI. Unlike traditional AI, which analyzes data to provide insights, generative AI creates new content based on the processed data. This capability opens up numerous possibilities for enhancing patient care, optimizing healthcare workflows, and developing innovative telehealth solutions.
For example, Gen AI can optimize hospital employee IT and HR operations through gen-AI chatbots, generate clinical notes for care managers, summarize discharge information, synthesize post-visit summaries, and more.
Final Thoughts
In 2024 and beyond, trends like EHR-embedded telehealth, IoMT and wearables, gamification, augmented and virtual reality, and generative AI will revolutionize patient care and healthcare workflows.
These telehealth future trends make the industry more efficient, engaging, and accessible. Integrating telehealth with EHR improves care coordination, while IoMT and wearables provide real-time health monitoring. Gamification motivates patients to stick to treatment plans, and augmented reality enhances medical procedures. Generative AI creates new solutions for patient care.
Empeek specializes in healthcare software development and helps telehealth providers follow telemedicine trends through innovative solutions. One such project is a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform that enhances patient care and operational efficiency.
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