Telemedicine Platforms

2025 made one thing very clear: Telemedicine didn’t fail because of technology. It struggled because it misunderstood how healthcare actually begins in India. Most platforms assumed: • People download an app when sick • Patients want the fastest available doctor • Healthcare works like food delivery or ride-hailing Reality is very different. 👉 In India, nearly 80% of people don’t start care on an app or hospital. They walk into a neighbourhood medical store, talk to someone they trust, and ask “kuch de do”. What didn’t work in 2025: • Pure app-based telemedicine with heavy onboarding • Treating doctors as interchangeable supply • One-off consultations with no context or continuity • AI used for diagnosis instead of reassurance, follow-ups, and admin • Expecting trust to be built inside a UI flow What did work: • Telemedicine embedded inside existing trusted offline touchpoints • Video consultations where the patient doesn’t feel alone • Prescription + medicine fulfilment in the same place • Multilingual support to remove communication anxiety • Continuity - not speed - as the core metric That’s why we built telemedicine inside medical stores, not as another standalone app. Our approach: • A physical telemedicine device at the pharmacy • Instant video consults with multi-specialty doctors • Real-time AI translation for local languages • Digital prescriptions fulfilled at the same store • Familiar environment → lower friction → higher trust No app downloads. No account fatigue. No “what happens next?” anxiety. The future of telemedicine in India (and similar markets) isn’t horizontal or app-first. It’s embedded, offline-first, trust-led, and longitudinal. Healthcare doesn’t scale by making consultations faster. It scales by making care feel familiar. Would love to hear from others building in this space - what have you seen work in 2025? Bharat TeleClinic

We solved half the problem & thought we bridged the gap. Ever worked on a solution that looked perfect on paper… but ended up creating more problems than it solved? That’s exactly what happened when I was called in to review a telehealth solution. It was well-designed, checked all the cybersecurity boxes, & allowed patients to consult doctors remotely. The project requirement was clear: enable remote consultations. And the solution delivered exactly that. But here’s the thing: While healthcare systems often operate in silos, patients experience their care as one continuous journey. And this solution missed critical parts of that journey: 🔸 No easy way to book follow-ups. Patients had to call, leading to missed care. 🔸 Medication collection still required hours of travel, making the platform’s convenience meaningless. 🔸 Administrative staff were overloaded, causing delays in care coordination. We solved one problem & unintentionally created three more. The solution was designed for the system’s convenience, not the patient’s journey. To shift the perspective, we expanded the conversation to include voices we hadn’t considered: 🔸 Pharmacists: To integrate medication delivery into the process 🔸 Community Health Workers: To provide local, hands-on support 🔸 Family Caregivers: To highlight logistical & emotional challenges at home 🔸 IT Teams: To automate follow-ups & reduce administrative burden 🔸 Local Transport Providers: To enable last-mile delivery of medications With these insights, we redesigned the solution into a comprehensive care experience: ✅ Patients could book follow-ups easily & get automated reminders ✅ Medications were delivered directly to their homes ✅ Caregivers & community workers ensured patients didn’t fall through the cracks I later learned that: 🔸 Missed follow-ups dropped by 40%. 🔸 Medication adherence & health outcomes improved significantly. The redesigned platform didn’t just connect patients to doctors, it completed the care journey. Next time you’re working on a solution, consider these points: 1️⃣ Patients see one journey While systems operate in silos, patients experience care as a unified process. 2️⃣ Identify all stakeholders Both direct & indirect voices like caregivers, pharmacists & community workers, are essential to closing gaps. 3️⃣ Design for continuity Address every touchpoint in the patient’s journey, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Have you worked on solutions where overlooked stakeholders made all the difference? What’s one gap you discovered that changed everything? #DigitalHealth #Innovation #HealthcareTransformation #PatientExperience #Collaboration 💡This post is part of 'Rethinking Digital Health Innovation' (RDHI), empowering professionals to transform digital health beyond IT and AI myths. 💡Find the ongoing series and resources on our companion website (URL in comments). 💡 Repost if this message resonates with you!

Dr Noreen Lineen-Curtis is GP to Clare Island, Achillbeg and Inis Biggil. She is pictured here with Joe O’Malley who arranges her transport to her clinic on Inis Bigil serving the 8 remaining residents there. Inis Bigil is separated from the mainland by a treacherous current which requires careful navigation and has seen its population gradually decline over recent decades since Noreen’s father was GP for Achill Island and Inis Bigil. Ireland has a diminishing number of inhabited offshore islands and lack of access to healthcare was often the driving force to the evacuation of those no longer inhabited. The most recent census records a combined population of just under 2,700 across the twelve main offshore islands in Ireland; 23% of residents on these islands are ≥65 years—eight points above the national average of 15.5% in 2024 and close to CSO projections for Ireland in 2051 of 26%. Their geographic isolation is amplified during bad weather and this creates difficulties in access to healthcare creating clinical risk for residents with illness. The HSEs Primary-Care Island Services Review(2017) documented a number of structural deficits that stem from this isolation and concluded that telehealth is a critical element in overcoming many of these deficits. Our Living Islands 2023-2033 makes digital connectivity and equitable healthcare two of its four strategic pillars, explicitly referencing the Home Health digital health pilot on Clare Island as an example of using ‘digital connectivity’ to improve healthcare on an island. The Health Innovation via Engineering (HIVE) lab at the University of Galway has developed novel solutions to clinical problems through interdisciplinary collaboration. Prof. Derek O’Keeffe is the Principal Investigator for Na hOileáin Sláintiúla (Healthy Islands) project. The research work has developed workable telemedicine solutions which overcome the geographical isolation on their demonstrator sites on Clare Island and Inisbofin allowing access not only to primary care consultations, but to specialist clinics in Galway. Once embedded, these telemedicine solutions open up networks of care to island residents, including access to Chronic Disease and Integrated Care for Older People (ICPOP) hubs on the mainland. Na hOileáin Sláintiúla has received Sláintecare Integration Innovation Funding (SIIF) to test and evaluation innovative models of care, leveraging technology and providing ‘proof of concept’ with the aim of scaling up successful projects. On a recent visit to Inishbofin (pictured) , we heard directly from patients, families and caregivers on the impact of these initiatives. Application of these principles can happen in other settings where access to healthcare is challenging: rural mainland communities, prisons, congregated settings of any type. For islands, the project offers the opportunity of a more equitable access to healthcare and a more secure future for island families.

Health kiosks in rural India are emerging as a powerful solution to bridge the healthcare accessibility gap for millions of people living in remote and underserved areas. These technology enabled healthcare centers provide basic medical consultations, health screenings, vital sign monitoring, telemedicine services, health education, and access to digital health records, often without the need for a full scale hospital or clinic nearby. By connecting patients with qualified doctors through teleconsultations, health kiosks help overcome shortages of healthcare professionals in rural regions while reducing travel time and costs for patients. Equipped with diagnostic devices for measuring blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen saturation, ECG, and other essential health parameters, these kiosks enable early detection and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions. When integrated with digital health initiatives, electronic health records, and government healthcare programs, health kiosks can strengthen preventive care, improve continuity of care, support maternal and child health services, and enhance public health surveillance. As India advances toward a digitally connected healthcare ecosystem, rural health kiosks have the potential to become vital community healthcare hubs that bring affordable, accessible, and timely healthcare closer to every citizen.

Exciting validation of #telehealth: readmission and cost of care reductions. 🚀❤️ We just released results in JAHA — Journal of the American Heart Association: virtual cardiac rehabilitation was associated with significant reductions in readmissions (38% lower IRR), emergency department use (44%), and total costs of care (18%) when compared to center-based rehabilitation (N=3006). Virtual cardiac rehabilitation addresses a key aim of Million Hearts, as increasing uptake of nutrition, exercise, tobacco cessation, stress management, and psychosocial support can help further its goal of preventing 1 million strokes and heart attacks in 5 years. The study reveals: ✅ Comparable (if not superior) outcomes vs. center-based 📈 Improved patient engagement 🌍 Enhanced accessibility, especially for remote and rural patients 💰 Potential for total cost of care savings Center-based cardiac rehabilitation is an excellent program, full stop. However, many patients have difficulty physically attending a program driven by dose-response impacts (i.e., doing more cardiac rehab leads to better outcomes). Distance, lack of transport, fear of hospitals, language barriers, wait lists - you name it - it isn't always easy to show up IRL. Enter telehealth. This study adds to the growing body of evidence showcasing telehealth as a game-changer and why it must be allowed to continue (as of today, its future is still uncertain for #Medicare beneficiaries past 12/31/24). As we adapt our practices, these virtual options are proving instrumental in: • Optimizing patient outcomes through consistent, convenient care, and prevention • Expanding access to vital guideline-based services, reaching previously underserved populations • Reducing the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, a critical consideration in today's healthcare landscape • Enabling more personalized and frequent patient-provider interactions, fostering better health management I'm thankful and proud to coauthor alongside innovators at Geisinger (Drs. Martin Matsumura, Neil S., Conor Banta, Alex Zimmerman, Bryan Martin, and H. Lester Kirchner, PhD to name a few). Curious to hear from you all: How has telehealth enhanced your care, and why must we continue to have telehealth as an access tool for better #healthcare? 👇#CardiacRehab #DigitalHealth #FutureOfMedicine #HeartHealth https://lnkd.in/dqP8jGmF

Over a decade ago when practicing in Austin, I took care of a patient who drove more than two hours to see me. She didn’t complain, she had already normalized it. That’s what stayed with me. Not the distance, but the quiet acceptance that this was simply what it took to get care and it served as one of the main sparks that led to our first teleMFM launch in the Texas hill country. This week, lawmakers in North Carolina reviewed data that helps explain why stories like hers are becoming more common. We often describe the maternal health crisis as a workforce shortage, but the reality is more complicated. Even as the number of OB clinicians has grown, maternity deserts continue to expand. Entire counties still lack access to obstetric care, driven in part by hospital closures, financial pressures, and the steady consolidation of services into urban centers. What we are seeing is not just a failure of supply. It is a failure of distribution. Clinicians cluster where infrastructure, support, and sustainability exist. Hospitals make rational decisions about where they can continue to offer labor and delivery. And over time, access quietly disappears from the communities that need it most. The system, as currently designed, pulls care inward, while patients remain where they are. At Ouma Health, we work inside this reality every day. We partner with FQHCs and community clinics in regions where there is no local MFM, and sometimes no nearby hospital offering obstetric services at all. What we’ve learned is that access is not just about whether a specialist exists somewhere. It’s about whether that expertise is reachable within the system that patients actually live in. We cannot solve this problem simply by redistributing people. We need well-intentioned policies, like expanding scope of practice for midwives serving these communities. If this is truly a distribution problem, then the answer is not more centralized capacity. It is a more connected system, one where expertise is no longer bound by geography. The goal isn’t to make every patient travel two hours for care. It’s to make that distance irrelevant. https://lnkd.in/g6D8rvDz #MaternalHealth #Telemedicine #RuralHealth #HealthEquity #DigitalHealth #teleMFM #MFM

Breaking the Healthcare Access Paradox: How Three Countries Are Redefining Quality Care Through Telemedicine 🇵🇰 In Pakistan, 80% of medical doctors are women, yet only 40% practice due to cultural constraints. 🇳🇵In Nepal's mountain regions, patients choose daily wages, not multi-day journeys to reach specialists. 🇮🇳 In India's rural communities, 280 million women forego healthcare due to barriers like cost, distance, and gender norms. Each is a fundamental crisis in health systems where proximity doesn't equal access, and where traditional models leave our most vulnerable populations behind. 🌏 A recent World Health Organization South-East Asia webinar on telemedicine quality and patient safety offers a roadmap to consider. 1️⃣ Turning Cultural Barriers Into Innovation Opportunities Dr.Sara Saeed Khurram, CEO of Sehat Kahani in Pakistan saw cultural constraints as opportunity to turn the "doctor bride" phenomenon - highly trained women doctors confined to home after marriage - into a deep supply of medical care. "80% of our medical workforce is women. But unfortunately, due to the Dr. Bride phenomena, only 40% ever practice," Dr. Khurram explained. She creates dignified employment for skilled professionals who want to work from home while serving patients who also face mobility constraints. It's a reminder that our biggest challenges often are our most transformative solutions. 2️⃣ Quality Must Be the Foundation, Not an Afterthought Healthcare often faces pressure to prioritize speed over quality, but telemedicine shows that quality frameworks are essential from day 1. "Telemedicine must match in-person care in accuracy, in safety, and in dignity," Shekhar Waikar from Intelehealth emphasized. He developed a comprehensive 47-indicator clinical quality index so telemedicine services match in-person care standards. 3️⃣ Sustainable Financing Through Strategic Partnerships These organizations developed diverse revenue models that ensure long-term sustainability. Sehat Kahani cross-subsidizes rural clinic operations through corporate health insurance partnerships and they partnered with microfinance institutions, recognizing that health events can destroy economic progress for vulnerable borrowers. 4️⃣ Hub-and-Spoke Models to Preserve Community Trust Successful telemedicine programs strengthen health systems. Pramendra Prasad Gupta's Nepal model connects rural health posts with specialist centers, so patients receive care from familiar providers and experts. This approach maintains relationships that are crucial for treatment adherence. 🤔 We Must Reimagine Healthcare These innovations are about improving how we deliver dignified, quality healthcare to the world's most underserved populations. With thoughtful design, rigorous quality frameworks, and sustainable financing, we can bridge the access gap without compromising care standards. 🏥 Telemedicine works. How quickly we can adapt these proven models to our contexts?

Recent discussions have highlighted significant gaps in telehealth access, particularly affecting non-English speakers and older adults experiencing homelessness. These groups often face barriers such as limited digital literacy, language obstacles, and inadequate access to necessary technology, which hinder their ability to benefit from telehealth services. Addressing these disparities requires a multifaceted approach. Implementing culturally sensitive telehealth platforms, providing language interpretation services, and offering community-based digital literacy programs are essential steps toward equitable healthcare access. Moreover, policymakers must prioritize infrastructure improvements to ensure reliable internet connectivity in underserved areas. As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to advocate for and implement solutions that bridge these gaps. By fostering inclusive telehealth practices, we can move closer to a healthcare system that serves all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status or linguistic background. https://lnkd.in/gjtZCqJ7

𝟱𝟬+ 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀. Their reality? Waking up daily with crushing fatigue, joint pain so severe you can’t grip a coffee mug, or brain fog that makes even simple decisions feel impossible. Now, imagine navigating your healthcare: Scheduling appointments, tracking symptoms, managing a rotating list of medications. Oh, and using digital tools that weren’t designed for you. The problem? Most digital health tools fail to account for the unpredictability, complexity, and sheer effort it takes to manage these conditions. • 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻. Pain, inflammation, and fatigue fluctuate daily, even hourly. • 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱. Doses change, insurance delays prescriptions, infusions require constant coordination. • 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲. One patient noted there were only three rheumatologists in her entire state, forcing her to fly out for care. As we wrap up Autoimmune Awareness Month, let’s talk about what needs to change in digital healthcare. ➡️ 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Most trackers assume linear progress. Autoimmune symptoms don’t work that way. ✔ Dynamic tracking that captures patterns over time, not just “better” or “worse.” ✔ AI-driven insights to detect flare patterns and offer proactive guidance. ➡️ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 For autoimmune patients, treatment is a moving target. ✔ Smart reminders that adjust to shifting regimens instead of rigid schedules. ✔ Integrated refill tracking that syncs with specialty pharmacies and insurance approvals. ➡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 Finding the right doctor shouldn’t require months of waiting – or a plane ticket. ✔ Telehealth options built specifically for autoimmune care, not just general virtual visits. ✔ AI-powered specialist matching to connect patients with the right expertise faster. ➡️ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗴, 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 Accessibility is about real usability. ✔ Cognitive-friendly interfaces that reduce decision fatigue and simplify navigation. ✔ Voice-enabled and adaptive controls for those experiencing pain or mobility challenges. Autoimmune diseases don’t fit neatly into traditional healthcare models. Our digital solutions shouldn’t either. – What’s one feature that would make digital healthcare actually work for autoimmune patients? Let’s talk. #AutoimmuneAwareness

This $2,000 device is doing what $200,000 machines couldn't for rural patients 👀 A 78-year-old patient in rural Kentucky needed an urgent cardiac evaluation, but the nearest equipped facility was 3 hours away. Instead of risking the journey, her FQHC clinician pulled a device from her pocket, connected it to her smartphone, and performed a comprehensive cardiac assessment on the spot. AI-powered portable ultrasound is quietly revolutionizing care delivery in our most vulnerable communities. Here's why this matters: 🔍 The diagnostic gap is real • 117 rural hospitals closed between 2010-2023 • 80% of rural counties lack sufficient radiologists • Patients travel an average of 43 miles for basic imaging 💡 The new generation of handheld ultrasound brings unprecedented capabilities: • Whole-body imaging from a single device • AI guidance that helps non-specialists capture diagnostic-quality images • Real-time AI analysis that identifies abnormalities instantly • Cloud connectivity for remote expert consultation • Costs under $2,000 compared to $100,000+ for traditional units 📊 The impact on FQHCs and rural providers: • 65% reduction in referrals to distant imaging centers • 73% faster time-to-diagnosis for critical conditions • 40% decrease in unnecessary emergency transfers • Significant cost savings from avoided transport and reduced readmissions 🏥 Implementation models that work: • Hub-and-spoke telemedicine networks where remote clinicians capture images guided by AI • Virtual radiologist oversight programs where specialists review flagged scans • Community health worker programs bringing diagnostics directly to homebound patients 💰 Sustainable funding pathways: • Medicare's Appropriate Use Criteria Program (AUC) provides better reimbursement for point-of-care imaging • New CPT codes (76536, 76641, 76642) specifically cover handheld ultrasound procedures • HRSA's Rural Healthcare Services Outreach grants can fund implementation At Oatmeal Health, we've helped numerous FQHCs implement these technologies with positive ROI within 6 months, even for centers with limited resources and technical infrastructure. The democratization of diagnostic imaging isn't just about technology, it's about fundamentally rethinking care delivery for communities that have been left behind. 👉 Have you implemented portable diagnostics at your organization? What barriers or successes have you encountered? Comment below.