Doctor at your Fingertips

Abstract: Healthcare, the fastest growing industry in the world, has throughout history sought to make use of the continuous advances in technology. Virtual visits is one of the latest advances, where physicians can remotely interact with patients via the use of smartphones. The aim of this study is to explore these benefits and challenges from the stakeholders’ perspective and explore how virtual visits can further expand and become an integral part of healthcare. To achieve this aim, empirical data from semi-structured interviews conducted with informants from renowned telemedicine companies worldwide were analysed and insightful findings were found. Overall, virtual visits are perceived from stakeholders as twice more efficient than physical visits, despite facing some challenges mostly in terms of regulations. Virtual visits are expected to treat 75% of cases if they make full use of remote devices that can transmit patient data to physicians in real-time. The conditions that need to be considered for the success of these devices are explored in this research.