Practo Report titled ‘Understanding COVID-19: Comparing all three waves in India’ has revealed potential Covid-19 recurrence in 25% patients. The report also analyses how Indians accessed healthcare during the three covid waves. The average time spent by a patient with a doctor online during this time was 30 minutes, which is comparable to in-person visits. In the last two years, digital healthcare has played an important role in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. With speculations about the impending fourth wave going on, it is necessary to understand the health trends from the first three waves so that we, as a community, are better prepared for it.
Practo is an integrated healthcare company that connects the entire health ecosystem together – including patients, doctors, surgeons, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and diagnostics. Report findings during all three waves were that 70% of all online consultations were for COVID-19. Second wave was the deadliest with a 690% surge in online consultations at its peak. Around 57% of all telemedicine users experienced it for the first time and 54% of all online consultations were from millennials and Gen Zs.
The findings also say that there was 50% growth in alternative medicine like Ayurveda and Homeopathy.Specialities like Dental, Psychiatry and Sexology saw growth in in-person appointments. Dolo 650mg, Zincovit, Limcee 500mg, Azee 500mg, Pan D capsule were the most ordered medicines. Covid-19 swab test, Complete blood count test, Thyroid profile and HBA1c were the most ordered diagnostic tests.
Prof. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Author of the best-seller: ‘Digital Health – Truly Transformational’ and Chairman – Digital Health Academy & Health Parliament, said, “For most of us who have been championing digital adoption over the past two decades, this digital health revolution is not just evolutionary; it is revolutionary – either corporates or technologists have led the first two revolutions, and this time, this is being led by patients. A bottom-up movement always trumps all barriers. This study reveals that digital health adoption is growing exponentially across urban, rural areas, specialities, and age groups. As work from home (WFH) becomes a reality, Consult from Home (CFH) is also becoming prominent. The hybrid model of care is a reality now.”
Top specialities during the three waves were General Physician, Gynecology and Pediatrics.
A few specialties grew sharply during the second wave due to severe side-effects of the Delta variant like Cardiology, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology and Post-COVID impact on Diabetology, Ophthalmology and Orthopedics.
Practo’s Insights Report is based on transactions by crores users in the time period like the first wave between September 2020 and October 2020, second wave between April 2021 and May 2021 and third wave in January 2022. Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer, Practo, said, “India’s healthcare system saw a paradigm shift in its approach to deliver care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In managing the crisis – especially through all three waves in India – there has been tremendous growth in telemedicine, raising the possibility of a future where digital healthcare services will coexist with in-clinic visits in a hybrid set-up. At a time when hospitals and care delivery units were overwhelmed by the rising number of positive COVID cases, telemedicine served as an efficient and effective alternative, saving lives and critical resources like hospital beds. Apart from the devastation that the pandemic brought, it also did reinstate the fact that quality healthcare can be made accessible and affordable to all.”
City specific pointers state that Bengaluru contributed to 32% of all covid consultations in the third wave. Highest consultations came from Delhi during the second wave contributing 29% of total covid consultations. Hyderabad was the third most consulted city in all three waves.During the first wave, Mumbai contributed to the highest online covid consultations at 8%. Among non-metros, Lucknow had the most online consultations during the first wave, contributing to 4% of all covid consultations.During the third wave, among non-metros Jaipur had the highest consultations contributing to 3% of all covid consultations.
