What is virtual health care and is it the future for expats?

Technology has always played a key role in improving healthcare.

Yet the way people access doctors and other services, has remained largely unchanged.

For people settling in an unfamiliar country this can bring new challenges.

Virtual health is a new technology which is already changing the way thousands of people access healthcare.

Unsurprisingly, expats have been early adopters of the service.

Richard di Benedetto, President, Aetna International: “It helps when you are an expat and you’re not familiar with the environment. And that’s why virtual health can help you because you have your family doctor in your pocket.”

So what exactly is virtual health and how does it work?

Using a virtual health service, people anywhere in the world can access a family doctor through their phone or computer at any time of the day or night.

They can get a diagnosis, a prescription, help understanding how the health care system works, and even a referral to a specialist.

“If you are in Singapore, or in Africa, and you think that you have fever or a cough you can immediately consult with less than a half hour waiting time, a doctor through a video call. And he will see all your medical conditions and he can give you and advice, or he can give you a diagnosis. The virtual doctor may say, ‘You need to see and visit a specialist doctors’. He can guide you through a network of hospitals and specialised doctors.”

And it seems it’s not just individuals and their families that benefit. Doctors, hospitals, employers, and health insurance companies are just some of those promoting virtual health as a way to control spiralling global health care costs.

Virtual health saves time and money, and greater access to quality care means healthier individuals. In turn, healthier individuals mean fewer conditions to manage, reducing the cost of healthcare and, ultimately, premiums.

“Virtual health plays a big role in driving down the cost of healthcare. People save a lot of time, because they don’t need to travel. In some geography, you need two hours to go to see a family doctor. Here you need just an appointment on your video.”

As technology continues to evolve, the popularity of virtual health looks set to grow, especially for expats who live in countries where easy access to quality healthcare is a challenge.

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