New digital horizons for international patient care

A new era in international healthcare

The pandemic expedited the enhancement and uptake of digital tools. Virtual technologies offered the potential to protect patients and healthcare professionals from exposure, with telemedicine for distance consultation becoming more valuable than ever and remote monitoring platforms moving to the foreground. “Virtual consultations and online prescription of medicine hadn’t really taken off before Covid-19, despite the obvious appeal,” stated William Cooper, Marketing Director at expat insurance specialist William Russell. “The pandemic accelerated improvements in the quality of telemedical services and also consumer utilisation.” Another catalyst for the growth in digital services in recent years is increasing consumer demand for convenience. This is interlinked with the rise of remote healthcare prompted by lockdowns, convincing consumers that face-to-face isn’t always necessary. Nowadays, remote working and global leisure and business travel are prevalent, and patients want and expect access to healthcare from wherever they are. 

“International travellers are on the go and need a simplified and better experience that gives them the freedom to access care and support on their terms,” said Dr Shoba Subramanian, Medical Director, Europe at UnitedHealthcare Global. As well as providing convenience, technological  advancements afford international patients more options and unrestricted access to care.

“The growth of telemedicine increasingly gives patients the ability to consult with medical specialists around the world in the language of their choice, without being restricted by their physical location,” confirmed Kevin Melton, Global Head of International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI) at International Medical Group (IMG). “For example, our latest IPMI offering, Global Prima Medical Insurance, provides customers with 24/7 online and telephone access to a network of medical professionals to discuss non-emergency medical issues.”

In order to build and maintain resilient health systems, it’s necessary to strengthen health systems on a global scale, and technology can help establish the long-term sustainability of processes and practices, improve access to care and deliver improved outcomes

In today’s world, advances such as telemedicine are more than just ‘nice to have’ options; they have become cornerstones of healthcare provision for international patients. “Advances in technology are the driving force behind healthcare delivery for international patients,” said Dr George. “When people are in good health, they want to maintain it; when they’re ill, they want to be seen right away, and when they’ve been diagnosed with a health condition, they want to be able to manage it. Virtual healthcare has now become a permanent fixture of system delivery for international patients – reducing costs, improving efficiency and enhancing patient outcomes.” Indeed, it appears it will be crucial to navigating the challenges that litter the global healthcare landscape. In order to build and maintain resilient health systems, it’s necessary to strengthen health systems on a global scale, and technology can help establish the long-term sustainability of processes and practices, improve access to care and deliver improved outcomes. “Fundamentally, technology and virtual care is the answer to a challenging healthcare landscape,” said Dr George. “It improves operational efficiency across primary and tertiary settings, optimises appointment schedules, and eliminates patients’ travel time. Access to care is the most persistent challenge facing health systems globally, with long waiting times for health services in many countries, especially those with public systems,” she highlighted. “As governments struggle to meet the rising needs of their populations and face an alarming shortage of healthcare workers, there is a growing acceptance by the industry and patients alike that the way forward for healthcare is through rapid innovation.”

Cooper agreed that health technology has the potential to be truly transformative for global healthcare: “Like a developing brain forming neural pathways, there is potential for technology to rewire primary healthcare and clinical referrals for inpatient treatment. Here, remote primary care becomes like a triage service: signposting complaints to the appropriate site (e.g. pharmacy, diagnostic scans, specialist consultation).”

Harnessing the lifesaving potential of technology

The bottom line for healthcare professionals and health insurers is patient outcomes, and technological advances have huge lifesaving potential. Services are more accessible when offered digitally, sparing the cost and inconvenience of travel, making them accessible from almost anywhere across the globe, and increasing the chances that people will attend appointments. This, in turn, means health concerns can be diagnosed and treated sooner, improving outcomes. “The effort threshold for booking a virtual consultation is lower,” explained Cooper. “That means the customer is more likely to book a consultation for an apparently minor complaint or niggle. Earlier review by a medical professional leads to earlier diagnosis, earlier referral and treatment, and better clinical outcomes for the customer.”

Dr George agreed: “Cigna’s annual 360 wellbeing survey found that just under half (over 40%) of respondents now consider virtual healthcare to be as good as in-person consultations, while two-thirds (63%) of clinicians anticipate the majority of consultations will be done remotely over the next decade, and 49% believe patients will receive most of their care at home.”

Prevention is better than cure, and healthtech can play an important part in prevention. “Gaining access to technology that educates and informs employees can be an invaluable tool for preventative care and safety,” said Dr Amit Arwindekar, Medical Director, North America, UnitedHealthcare Global.

A metric that is inextricably linked to patient outcomes is cost, and technology has contributed to cost savings for patients

Dr George agreed and pointed out the opportunity for enhanced personalised care: “Technology brings renewed attention to preventative healthcare that drives further personalisation. For example, smart diagnostic and remote monitoring tools can look at patient-specific needs and inform individualised care plans and lifestyle recommendations that keep conditions from developing or getting worse.”

A metric that is inextricably linked to patient outcomes is cost, and technology has contributed to cost savings for patients. One way is through facilitating early prevention, as Cooper explained: “From the insurer’s perspective (or perhaps the public health authority), earlier detection leads to cheaper treatment costs.”

Telemedicine has also lowered healthcare costs for patients. “The expansion of telemedicine services  saved [IMG] over $1 million in 2022, allowing us to keep international health insurance as affordable as possible for our customers,” Melton corroborated. “Being able to discuss new, non-emergency medical issues with a medical professional online or over the phone is often more cost-effective than in-person office visits. Because telemedicine services are more affordable, this means more people will be able to conveniently receive the medical attention and diagnosis they need, wherever they’re located.”

Cooper agreed: “Usually, insurers contract with a telemedicine provider on a cost-per-head basis. The telemedicine service is normally included as standard on the health insurance policy, and utilisation from the customer’s perspective is free. There isn’t typically a charge to the insurer beyond the cost per head. From the telemedicine service provider’s perspective, they can expect only 10% utilisation from the customer base.”

Shiny, but no silver bullet

Of course, technological innovations aren’t a perfect solution, and there remain concerns surrounding security and patient safety. “With regard to patient security, health data protection is of the utmost concern,” said Melton. “Medical records and results are increasingly held and communicated online, and it’s imperative that their data and information is kept secure.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is smart but there are certain human qualities that cannot be replicated

Cooper agreed: “Service providers must adhere to the strictest standards of data protection and security. There is much potential for weak links when a third-party service provider is involved alongside the standard customer-hospital-insurer relationship.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is smart but there are certain human qualities that cannot be replicated and it requires a human touch to deliver perfectly personalised solutions. “Generative AI has great potential, but there are limitations, and relying solely on these new tools is unwise and unsafe, particularly for self-diagnosis,” Dr George underlined.  “Every patient has unique medical history and needs, and AI tools do not have access to family history, general medical history, medication usage, diet, weight, height and other lifestyle factors unless they are entered, meaning information can also be inaccurate if it is not personalised. Furthermore, in an ever-changing research environment, it takes time for AI responses to reflect new knowledge and information. They need to be used as a complementary, additional source of information and not as a replacement for medical advice from a professional.”

Anticipated future impact of AI in healthcare

It will be interesting to see how future technological innovations improve healthcare delivery and outcomes. At this point, although we may all have heard of ChatGPT, this technology is still in its relative infancy and its applications in medicine are likely to grow. Research is currently underway to explore the possible uses of GPT-4 in healthcare and medical applications.

“As technology continues to advance, the quality of virtual health will keep improving,” stated Dr George. “AI is a hot topic in almost every industry right now and offers enormous potential to further reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance patient outcomes. With both doctors and patients seeing the benefits of technology and virtual healthcare, it is inevitable that it will become the first line of medical intervention in the future. While having a consultation face to face will still be needed in some cases, providing flexible solutions for patients will ensure that the health system truly puts patients at the heart of the system.”

Melton said that telehealth may shift from common practice to a new normal. “We expect to see even further utilisation of telemedicine and telehealth services. While the practice is becoming increasingly common today, it may very well become the standard for a ‘traditional’ healthcare visit by 2030. A more technology-intensive example of an advancement in healthcare may be the rise of remote robotic surgery. This makes the actual geographical location of the patient less of an issue, which is increasingly important for travellers and expatriates.”

Despite abundant global healthcare challenges, AI is an exciting, ever-advancing tool that has the potential to revolutionise international care. “We are undoubtedly living through a challenging moment for health systems around the world, but the widespread adoption of virtual health may well ease our transition into a new and more effective mode of healthcare,” concluded Dr George.