Telemedicine Market

Market Overview

The global telemedicine market size was valued at USD 104,437.92 million in 2021. It is expected to reach USD 527,665.65 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.72% during the forecast period (2022–2030).

Telemedicine refers to the remote provision of healthcare services via telecommunications infrastructures, such as medical consultations or evaluations. Telemedicine enables medical practitioners to check, diagnose, and treat patients without an in-person visit using specialized technology like smartphones and video conferencing. The term "telemedicine" is used synonymously or in a narrower meaning to refer to remote healthcare services like diagnosis and monitoring. The telemedicine market is expected to grow due to the rise of chronic diseases and the growing need for home consultations.

Market Dynamics

Global Telemedicine Market Drivers

Rising Innovations in Technology

Telemedicine applications are revolutionizing how traditional healthcare is provided around the world. Software applications allow for the immediate scheduling of medical consultations because most offer 24/7 support. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are compelled by technological innovation to screen and interact with patients remotely before they enter the facility. In order to reduce the risk of disease transmission while enhancing the patient experience, telemedicine is reducing the amount of human interaction for patients. Online questionnaires and call centers contacting high-risk patients are just two examples. The use of wearable biosensors to track patients' vital signs is also anticipated to increase. These sensors can measure and transmit patient data like posture and activity level, vital signs like respiratory data, and heart rate. Therefore, it is anticipated that technological advancements will accelerate market growth.

Increasing Chronic Diseases Worldwide

The World Health Organization estimated that USD 8.5 trillion was spent globally on healthcare in 2018. Chronic diseases carry a more significant economic burden due to rising healthcare costs, primarily caused by increased diseases. The global telemedicine market is anticipated to grow due to the rising geriatric population and the related rise in various chronic diseases. Telemedicine makes it possible to economically diagnose and treat various chronic diseases, stimulating the market and advancing technology. Healthcare professionals are looking for ways to lower the cost of treating chronic illnesses without sacrificing the quality of care as these diseases continue to spread. The cost of treating chronic illnesses could also be reduced through telemedicine. The use of interactive audio and video, handheld apps, and other cutting-edge technological resources by doctors and clinicians to monitor a patient's condition and avoid needing personal assessments is expected to increase telemedicine during the forecast period.

Global Telemedicine Market Restraints

Reimbursement Issues by Insurance Companies

Digital data transmission increases the risk of unauthorized parties intercepting and misusing patient data, according to an AHA publication. Telemedicine experts must audit their safety practices to ensure patient privacy and security. The lack of safety regulations may outweigh these changes. Cybersecurity experts say telemedicine service providers face the same billing, verification, and authentication challenges as financial institutions and major suppliers. Private insurance companies do not follow a single standard, but some insurance companies pay for telehealth services. Payment for telehealth services must be approved because other businesses have not created specific reimbursement policies. Some nations face government and hospital restrictions that hinder service delivery and cross-border movement. The public is unaware of hospital reimbursement policies, and the administration does not disclose the information. Thus, telemedicine services are stagnating due to repayment issues by insurance companies.

Global Telemedicine Market Opportunities

Growing Need for Telemedicine

The population is expanding quickly, and there is not enough infrastructure to handle a lot of patients, which has allowed the telemedicine market to expand quickly. Pre-medicine shows enormous potential to grow over the coming years, in addition to the use of telemedicine in routine consultation services (for various areas of healthcare, such as psychiatry, cardiology, and dermatology). The growing use of telemedicine services could result in long-term changes to healthcare regulatory standards. For instance, lax regulatory requirements, such as FaceTime or Skype platforms, have already lowered entry barriers for telemedicine providers while promoting adoption, particularly among seniors. Soon, this process is probably going to pick up more speed. Some emergencies require immediate medical attention, but the patient is far away or has been in an accident. In these circumstances, there is no time to transport the patient to the hospital for care. During the forecast period, the developments are anticipated to accelerate market growth.

Regional Analysis

By region, the global telemedicine market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant shareholder in the global telemedicine market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.01% during the forecast period. The United States rapidly expanding healthcare infrastructure, the rising demand for mobile technology, the rise in R&D activities leading to product launches, and increased government telemedicine initiatives are all expected to spur market expansion. The healthcare sector in the US is one of the most data-intensive industries. The industry is strongly committed to implementing cutting-edge solutions to support advancements in patient care and foster the development of advanced healthcare. This leads to increased demand for telemedicine facilities and remote patient health monitoring. Thus, the demand for using this data to treat disorders will increase the market for telemedicine services.

Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.85%, generating USD 146,144.25 million during the forecast period. Rising healthcare costs, a surge in the adoption of mobile health solutions by healthcare organizations with high-quality infrastructure, and an increase in the burden of chronic diseases are all contributing to the growth of the telemedicine market in Germany. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the key market players' presence will accelerate market expansion. The German federal government passed the Hospital Future Act (KHZG) in September 2020, allowing all public hospitals in Germany to apply for government funding for initiatives to advance digital health, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure. The KHZG provides public hostels with a EUR 1 billion share of the funds raised and 4.3 billion for the development of digital health. In their efforts to provide healthcare to everyone, hospitals across the nation are anticipated to adopt telemedicine platforms more widely.

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast period. A significant demographic shift is occurring in China due to its rapidly aging population. Additionally, the number of people with chronic conditions is increasing. According to the International Diabetes Federation, China had the highest number of diabetics in the world in 2019, with approximately 116.4 million people suffering from the disease. Due to the nation's rapidly aging population, medical technology improvements, and significant healthcare changes, there is a growing social consciousness regarding a person's full potential for wellness. Receiving medical consultation is challenging and expensive due to the imbalance in the number of healthcare providers and patients. Also, it is essential to use information technologies to deliver remote health services because the healthcare infrastructure is finding it challenging to meet the rising demand. In China, telemedicine and other uses of information technology in healthcare are developing quickly.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region comprises Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. The GCC nations share social and economic backgrounds, health problems, and nearly identical health systems and policies. With the launch of the Seha App in January 2021, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health expanded the use of telemedicine. Seha App connects patients for virtual face-to-face consultations with doctors anywhere in the KSA. The GCC market is anticipated to expand due to the region's high cost of living, rising healthcare spending, rising GDP, and rising disease prevalence.

Brazil is an emerging market with the potential to grow significantly as a telemedicine market soon. Additionally, the nation has recently passed legislation to encourage foreign direct investment in the healthcare sector and generally has a good ICT infrastructure. The main drivers of market expansion are the rise in chronic diseases and the rate of technological advancement. In order to maintain and grow their market share, several businesses are launching various strategies like partnerships, new products, mergers, and acquisitions. For instance, ViBe Sade declared in January 2021 that it had completed a USD 10 million Series A funding round to increase the scope of its telehealth services in Brazil. According to the company, the funds will be used to hire clinical staff and acquire customers.

Segmental Analysis

The global telemedicine market is segmented by type, component, and mode of delivery.

By Type Analysis

Based on type, the global market is bifurcated into telehospitals, telehomes, and mhealth (mobile health).

The mhealth (mobile health) segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.89% during the forecast period. The use of mobile and wireless devices, such as smartphones, tablets, patient monitoring devices, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), to enhance health outcomes, medical services, and health research is known as mHealth, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The market expansion is anticipated to be aided by rising demand for digital health services and a growing preference for mobile and internet technology. Additionally, market participants are concentrating on introducing new products, such as blood glucose monitors and essential cardiology. Moreover, several companies are releasing intelligent wearable devices like smartwatches, health monitors, pedometers, and activity trackers. As a result, the factors above are likely to support the growth of the mobile health segment over the forecast period.

Telehospital services are offered between hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare facilities. These improve patient care and connectivity and give patients immediate diagnostic and therapeutic results. Due to a lack of infrastructure, hospitals can provide more effective patient care through telemedicine than conventional methods. Telehospital/teleclinic services dominate telemedicine because it directly relates to better overall healthcare management and has the potential to play a significant role in the development of modern healthcare systems. Telemedicine is promoted worldwide, including in the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan, and the forecasts predict significant market growth.

By Components Analysis

Based on components, the global market is bifurcated into products and services.

The software segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.96% during the forecast period. Telemedicine software is used for clinical care and general health and connects patients with doctors. It is a practical and efficient way to provide distant healthcare. Telemedicine software provides cost-effectiveness, minimal setup, and e-prescription. Health information and medical records security are some of the other features. Since many states now reimburse telemedicine services, especially two-way video visits, each visit must be adequately documented to be reimbursed. ieVisit, AGNES Interactive, eNcounter, TrueVision, and 3D surgical software offer scalable, adaptable, and affordable telemedicine software. The software segment is expected to grow significantly due to the above factors.

The telemedicine hardware market uses various types of hardware to make instruments. Telemedicine hardware includes carts, devices, cameras, glucose monitors, and sensors. In addition, videoconferencing hardware includes a computer, software, microphone, speakers, and a remote-controlled camera. Early telemedicine generations relied on networks and hardware, but providers now prefer flexible, affordable solutions.

By Mode of Delivery Analysis

Based on the mode of delivery, the global market is bifurcated into on-premise and cloud-based delivery.

The cloud-based delivery segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.30% during the forecast period. The cloud-based approaches are more recent and are primarily used by businesses without the necessary internal infrastructure. These systems are less expensive to install than on-premises systems. Additionally, these programs eliminate the need for internal upkeep, the main factor driving their rising demand. Due to its scalability and cloud-based delivery model, the software is incredibly flexible (pay-as-you-go storage utilization). To cut costs and improve workflow, it streamlines and consolidates storage resources by removing departmental silos of clinical data. The cloud vendor offers all resources for off-premises system support. Additionally, large and well-known vendors are starting to enter the cloud market. In order to support the caliber of patient care, the cloud infrastructure also ensures real solutions for business continuity and disaster recovery. Consequently, it is anticipated that there will be a significant demand for cloud services.

On-premise delivery uses a customer's servers and computing facilities. It uses the organization's built-in computing resources and licenses or purchases software from an independent vendor. The most secure method of storing patient data is on-premise data infrastructure, which is connected to the local network. On-premise models are a safe bet if there are internet connectivity issues. Physical servers allow faster access to larger files and do not rely on internet bandwidth, increasing adoption.

Recent Developments

• October 2022- The NITI Ayog will soon launch a pilot project to provide telemedicine services for livestock health and safety in the wake of growing concerns over outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) leading to death in cattle in several states in India.
• April 2022- SOC Telemed, Inc., the largest national provider of acute care telemedicine, announced that the previously announced all-cash acquisition by Patient Square Capital, a premier firm devoted to investing in the healthcare industry, has been completed.