This post is part of G2's 2022 digital trends series. Read more about G2’s perspective on digital transformation trends in an introduction from Tom Pringle, VP, market research, and additional coverage on trends identified by G2’s analysts.

Hybrid healthcare is not going anywhere

The shift to virtual healthcare, or telemedicine, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of the global healthcare system, including how patients receive care and interact with their providers. Not all patients want virtual care. Therefore, healthcare practitioners will need to be flexible and provide care that meets the unique needs of each patient. 

Patients are also looking to providers to add value to their overall wellbeing. One of the biggest buzzwords in healthcare right now is patient experience, which focuses on helping patients actively participate in their own healthcare and optimizing communication and relationship building with the provider. 

Human experience is at the very core of the fundamental nature of healthcare, which involves people taking care of other people in times of distress. 

Telemedicine benefits the patients and the providers 

The global telemedicine market is projected to grow from $68.36 billion to $218.49 billion by 2026.

This year’s emphasis on patient comfort, the spike in telehealth, and the use of virtual connection outside of the clinic has provided the opportunity to rethink care models and clinical collaboration. Healthcare providers can use telehealth beyond the patient-to-clinician interaction. Telehealth can help connect providers, or even members of the care team, practicing in different parts of the hospital.

Although there has been a spike in telehealth visits, providers still encountered care access barriers. While telemedicine is a convenient approach, it does not completely solve the problem of access to care and patients’ ability to afford the care. It is not possible to arrange every type of visit remotely, some services may not be fully covered, and millions of people lack internet access or cannot afford quality internet services. 

G2’s Telemedicine category continues to grow 

In G2’s Fall 2021 reports, reviewers gave telemedicine products an average score of 97% for “Ease of Doing Business With” and a 94% for “Ease of Use.” This suggests that customers are happy with how these products have adapted to meet the changing needs of the healthcare industry.

There was an obvious increase in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. While the traffic has fluctuated over time as we have continued to adapt during the pandemic, we continue to see interest in G2’s Telemedicine category. The stagnation in category traffic is likely due to most organizations selecting telemedicine software in the earlier days of the pandemic and now buyers may be comparing different products to ensure they have the best product to meet their practice needs. 

Telemedicine software is one of the hottest trends in healthcare right now. Organizations that have adopted these telemedicine tools understand the importance of evolving to provide the best patient experience. 

What’s next for healthcare?

A fully hybrid healthcare system is possible now. People can continue to see their doctor in person if that is their preference. While others can continue to benefit from a hybrid care model where they see doctors in person in combination with telehealth services, such as text messaging, online appointment scheduling, online appointment registration, virtual waiting rooms, and appointments with assessments and treatments that can be performed remotely.