New regulations are transforming how healthcare providers do business. They need to ensure compliance while reducing costs and at the same time improve the patient care experience. While the world witnessed inadequacies and pitfalls in the healthcare system during the pandemic, technological advancement has enabled the sector to leapfrog the gaps in its existing medical care setup and infrastructure. The latest healthcare tech trends have been focusing more on online medicine, telehealth services, VR, AR, and artificial intelligence.

Nearly 80% of Healthcare systems are planning to increase their investment in these digital healthcare trends over the next five years. With this rapid transformation, the world has truly become a more mature market for on-demand healthcare services. There are already numerous platforms having made a mark, which enables patients' connectivity with the doctor either through mobile websites or apps. Similarly, there are innumerable platforms for booking medicine delivery via online eCommerce platforms.

Why On-demand healthcare is on the rise?

• Growth in Patient’s demand 

Healthcare services have evolved over the past years, especially during the times of Covid-19. With a high number of people falling sick and requiring diagnosis and medication on time, it has become of prime importance for the healthcare facility to be advanced. More than ever, patients expect their healthcare to be fast and convenient. As per the report published by Accenture, ‘64% of consumers said their satisfaction with the healthcare services hinged on waiting times and appointment speeds. While 62% said - the convenience of appointment times was a top factor, and 60% said the convenience of the location or channel. Thus, the availability of on-demand services has played a major role in outmoding the existing healthcare setup and building a trust factor among doctors and patients.

• Rising acceptance of technological advancement

Technology has played a pre-eminent role in reviving the out fashioned healthcare business model where the patients had to stand in long queues before taking an appointment or buying medicines. Patients today are willing to have smart tech play a prime role in medical care. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, IoT, VR & AR are driving patient care services. According to the study published by Accenture, 52% of patients would likely use a virtual health coach, and 45% would use an intelligent clinic to help discover their medical condition and find the right cure. Thus, digital transformation in healthcare has provided eminent opportunities to patients by freeing up clinician time and personalizing care services to put control in the patients’ hands.

• The impact of Coronavirus

Like other industries, Covid-19 has forced healthcare service providers to embrace emerging technologies much faster. During the pandemic, the on-demand healthcare and patient experience have been a major driver in the adoption and advancement of technologies. With lockdown in various countries accompanied by restrictions, many patients who were vulnerable or have shown symptoms of the coronavirus have had to stay in quarantine at home. Thus, leaving them with no option, rather than using healthcare/hospital apps to have appointments and opting for eCommerce platforms to order the rare medicines which were not easily available with pharmacists.

Advantages of on-demand healthcare applications

• With on-demand applications available, patients and doctors feel more empowered these days. To access any treatment or to undergo any kind of tests, patients can seamlessly consult the doctor and book the lab for the collection of their samples through their doorstep.
  
  
• Moreover, the on-demand setup has generated innumerable job opportunities for several people. For the healthcare providers, the on-demand service has provided employment to the physicians who were looking out for alternatives/supplemental jobs with flexible work hours. Doctors have the option to work part-time or full-time on these apps as per their availability.

• Studies reveal that virtual visits/online consultations costs 40% less than in-person visit and is way too cheaper than emergency care/walk-ins at the hospital. Thus, estimation of healthcare costs is no more a challenge for the patients.

• Online aggregator platforms for medicines delivery and home sample collection have made the life of patients much easier as they don’t have to visit multiple stores in search of a single medicine. Similarly, the lab technician is just a click away from proving collection services.
  

The future of the healthcare industry

Digital transformation has played an important role in exponentially defining the importance of healthcare in a common man’s life. On-demand healthcare is not just a trend but is poised to curb the high-cost, inconvenient setup of the patient care delivery model. To make this transformation successful a lot of established healthcare service providers and startups have joined this movement.

JollyRX is one of the online aggregator platforms that help to make drugs and diagnostics easily available to patients at a very accessible and affordable cost. The disruptive digital platform provides additional value-added services via which medical establishments can search for their required supplies, order them at the right prices and time, and receive them at their doorsteps irrespective of their location. To learn more about their services, visit our website.