Telemedicine in Asia: a tool to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and a prospective path for healthcare delivery

ABSTRACT

Telemedicine, the provision of healthcare services at a distance, has gained the spotlight in recent years for the provision of medical care, medical advice and monitoring of patients in their homes. In Asia, telemedicine has flourished due to motivations such as limited personal resources, scarce healthcare facilities and a growing demand for more and better healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many challenges to healthcare delivery, some of which are answered by telemedicine. Asia, one of the first areas of the world to be hit by the new coronavirus, quickly understood the benefits of telemedicine in this scenario. Before engaging in large-scale telemedicine Asian countries still need to resolve several issues related to the users and providers of healthcare, the organisation of healthcare systems, the availability of technology and the existing legal framework. Even so, Asia might experience a dynamic boost in telemedicine due to the pandemic.