With the ever-changing science and technology, telemedicine has brought several innovations to improve health care. Working mothers, especially, finds these virtual medical consultation apps as an efficient way to have fast access to medical care.
For instance, Laika Karyani, a working mom at a health-tech company, used telemedicine one late night when she recognized that she was beginning to lose her voice. Because she didn’t want to disturb her husband and young son from their sleep and the fact that there were also no available clinics that late, she used a virtual medical consultation app. She got connected to a licensed physician right away via American Well, a video-chat service.
Just like Karyani and several working moms, telemedicine has proved to be a very handy tool for mothers who are balancing a full-time job and childcare at the same time. It’s a fast and efficient way to receive immediate consultation from a healthcare professional right in the comfort of their homes.
Telemedicine apps such as Doctor on Demand, Teladoc, and MDLIVE, and also executives of American Well target women, especially mothers, and count on them to recommend their companies to other mothers and family members.
Global Market Insights Inc. reported that the U.S. telemedicine market is anticipated to exceed $64 billion by 2025. Since a large number of telemedicine smartphone users are women, providers are shaping their strategies toward that direction to boost their market growth.
Teladoc, a telemedicine company that started delivering its online medical services in 2015, recognizes that courting mothers via Facebook and other forums online has played a significant contribution to their success. Moms aged 25 and above represents approximately 45% of the total behavioral and general medical health visits they received, as stated by Teladoc CEO, Jason Gorevic.
According to a 2017 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 79% of decisions when choosing a child’s physician is made by mothers. Likewise, mothers also make 77% of the final say in taking their kid to medical appointments.
CEO of American Well, Roy Schoenberg, stated that mothers comprise a critical demographic in most of the virtual visits they received for a variety of ailments, such as strep throat, bladder infections, and other acute diseases. Over 60% of American Well users are women, and most are aged 25 to 44 years old.
In some instances, telemedicine companies will refer patients to a doctor if they fail to make a diagnosis virtually, although at-home tests are also done for cases like strep throat. Most patients consulting via their smartphones can send pictures of their skin rashes and other signs which can aid with the diagnosis.
Schoenberg mentioned that there’s an increase in the number of patients during cold and flu season when parents prefer to consult from their home than taking the risks of exposing their child to other sick children at the doctor’s clinic.
Moreover, the CEO of Doctor on Demand Hill Ferguson, also recognizes that women are a key demographic in their total patient population. Majority of its app users are women, about 65%, with half of their patients aged 24 to 45 years old. Ferguson also added that around two-thirds of Doctor on Demand’s physicians are female, so they can better understand the condition of their female patients.
