North America Telehealth Market (2023-2030)

Telehealth refers to the use of digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to access and manage healthcare services remotely. Telehealth involves delivering healthcare, health education, and health information services through remote technologies. Telehealth has several benefits, including reduced unnecessary hospitalizations, reduced medical treatment wait times, and significant financial savings. It allows patients and physicians to engage remotely, providing care, counseling, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and admissions. Telehealth involves videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education, and nurse call centers. Both primary and specialized care providers benefit from telehealth as it allows them to broaden their reach and treat patients from anywhere via the Internet.

The key factors driving the North America telehealth market are the rising concern of rural hospital closures, the shortage of healthcare professionals across the globe, the rising number of chronic diseases, and increasing awareness about the benefits of telehealth. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence & virtual assistants and the development of telerobots are expected to provide great growth opportunities for the market in the coming years. However, patient privacy and confidentiality issues, along with a reluctance to migrate from conventional systems & occurrences of misdiagnosis, may prove challenging to the players operating in this market.

According to World Bank, the U.S. population aged 65 or above is expected to increase from 53.3 million in 2019 to 70.8 million in 2030. Furthermore, according to a report from American Hospital Association, the number of people in the U.S. with a chronic medical condition is projected to rise from 149 million in 2015 to 171 million in 2030. Chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S., with an annual healthcare cost of $4.1 trillion. Nearly 6 in 10 adults in the country have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 adults have two or more chronic diseases. Hence, there is a need for quick & remote diagnosis of disease.

Telehealth helps bridge the gap in managing geriatric syndromes besides regular visits for stable persons with chronic diseases. The Rapid Geriatric Assessment (RGA) is an approach to diagnosing and following frailty, sarcopenia, anorexia of aging and cognitive dysfunction. A home telehealth program can enhance an older person’s quality of life, and telehealth can be used to deliver rehabilitation programs in the home, driving telehealth usage in this region.

The development of telerobots has improved telemedicine in a variety of ways. Telerobots facilitate remote patient monitoring, diagnosis, and virtual care.

Telerobots can track patients' health in real-time and warn physicians if their condition deteriorates. For instance, In 2020, iRobot (U.S.) and InTouch Health (U.S.) collaborated to build robots for remote healthcare settings such as ICUs, patient wards, and operating & procedure rooms.

Robots are also assisting doctors in setting up virtual visits with their patients, in addition to remote monitoring. It allows doctors who are not in the same city as their patients to video call them in hospitals and receive their most recent medical information. Patients can even take telerobots home after their hospital stay to assist with postoperative consultations and care. Thus, the development of telerobots is creating market growth opportunities.