The number of patients using teleconsultation has tripled in 2020

Following the coronavirus health crisis and successive confinements, the practice of telemedicine exploded in one year. According to a survey carried out by Odoxa for the ANS, this recourse was multiplied by 3 for patients and by more than 6 for general practitioners in 2020.

Improved knowledge and perceived usefulness of telemedicine

“The French know more and more about telemedicine. More and more of them want to use it and judge that it is useful for health in France”, analyze the pollsters. “Logically, this improvement in the knowledge and perceived usefulness of telemedicine goes hand in hand with an improvement in its image”, they continue. Teleconsultation also generates a very high level of satisfaction (80% on average in Europe), and France is one of the European countries most favorable to telemedicine.

How do doctors practice teleconsultation today on a daily basis? Those who have tried it once use it massively (they have performed 91 on average) and for all types of patients, most often at home.

“Telemedicine therefore has a “boulevard” to develop”

The use of teleconsultation also has every chance of developing further in the future: currently non-practicing doctors say that they will soon use it and 7 out of 10 French people say they would practice teleconsultation if their doctor advised them.

“Telemedicine therefore has a “boulevard” to develop further in our country, but in order for its pace of progress to be optimized – as between January and June – rather than slowed down (as has been the case since June), the public authorities will still have to communicate, reassure and explain, both to the French and (especially) to healthcare professionals, and in particular general practitioners”, concludes Odoxa.