Use of telemedicine will double in next decade, report predicts

The telemedicine sector is expected to grow by an average of 10% a year across Europe to 2020, or double the rise in total healthcare spending, a report has predicted. Chronic illnesses such as heart complaints, asthma, and diabetes are particularly appropriate for telemedicine, it says.

The greater use of telemedicine is also expected to usher in considerable change in the structure of care, says the report, by Deutsche Bank Research.

“While the workload for the outpatient sector will increase, traditional inpatient care will see its role continue to recede,” it says.

Najeeb Shorbaji, director of knowledge management and sharing at …