The Future of Telehealth in a Post-Pandemic World

With the spread of the Covid-19 virus all over the world and a large number of people being infected with it and the quarantine of cities all over the world, the number of visits of public centers decreased significantly, and remote communication became a good and reasonable alternative for the people of the whole world as far as Healthcare also entered the digital world and the Internet. Many companies and start-ups have entered the modern world with the aim of providing services in the field of health and treatment remotely, via the Internet and by telephone, which were very well received by users and to a large extent, they were able to solve the problem of traveling in quarantine conditions, especially for the vulnerable sections of the society, including the elderlies.

Currently, despite the fact that the issue of Covid-19 has faded and a large percentage of the world's people have been protected by public vaccination and the death rate has decreased and people's lives have returned to the normal routine of pre-Covid, the attention and desire of people to use the medical applications, telehealth services and requests for medical advice over the phone and the virtual world are still high. Because logically, people prefer instead of spending time on the way to and from clinics and medical centers or sitting in the waiting rooms for a visit by a doctor, stay home and be visited by the doctor through a phone call or just by a click of a button. They prefer go to the doctor in person for an examination only if necessary.

Telemedicine or telehealth has grown globally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and will remain an integral part of medical care.

During the pandemic, many health care delivery laws were changed or new laws were enacted to increase access to telehealth services for more people, many of which remain.

Disadvantages of telehealth

As every change has advantages, it also includes disadvantages, some of which are mentioned below.

• The lack of access of all people to electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc., especially in villages
• Not everyone has access to the Internet
• Lack of awareness and knowledge to use these services
• Creating some problems by profiteers
• The possibility of Internet fraud

Despite all the disadvantages that telehealth may have for patients and doctors, its advantages and attractiveness are still heavier in the bottom of the scale, and governments will not only not ban its use, but also will try to eliminate the disadvantages and make it better in the future.