Telemedicine is here to stay

In an internet survey conducted by GlobalWebIndex in the United States and the United Kingdom, it was discovered that only 16% of consumers had ever used telemedicine before the Covid-19 pandemic. By the time much of the world was in lockdown, that number had climbed to 45%. What we learned is something we really already knew: that people sometimes need to be pushed, hard, to use something new even if the benefits are overwhelmingly in their favor. In the 1980’s banks had to pay people bonuses to get them to try using an ATM machine. Now many of those same banks charge their customers if they transact business inside the branch. In 1990, mobile phones were just catching on but no one was giving up their wall-phone. Today only about 6% of U.S households have a landline. One day we will routinely see our doctors from the comfort and convenience of our own homes. It will be faster, easier, less expensive and every bit as effective. Are you fearful of that or looking forward to it? We’d like to know. Join the conversation.