ITIC APAC Review: Digital healthcare, insurtech and… Leave a comment
Melisa Teoh, Chief Operating Officer, MyDoc
Melisa focused on the transition for some insurers from offline to online, pointing out that there are insurers in Singapore that started operations solely online – Singlife, she said, is a digital native – it is one of only a few fully digital insurers licensed in Singapore and is an example of how the world is changing.
One of the biggest drivers for change in terms of digital solutions in healthcare has been the pandemic – individuals are changing the way they seek treatment, there has been a significant increase in government support for digital healthcare; hybrid models of care are becoming more prevalent, and the limited access to in-person appointments has led to faster adoption of digital solutions and a great willingness on behalf of insurers to pay for them.
“There’s also been an increase in home-based healthcare services,” Melisa noted. “All these changes are forcing our partners to rethink the customer journey and the role of the payer in that journey, and at which point that actually comes into play,” she added. “We’ve been working very closely with all the insurance providers to figure out how best to leverage telemedicine in order to create stronger engagement between the insurer, the healthcare provider and the patient in a way that helps control the costs without the adversely impacting the health care journey for the patient.”
Turning specifically to her MyDoc platform, Melisa showed a sharp spike in monthly active users between 2019 and 2021, and that each wave of Covid had resulted in further increases. What is interesting is that it’s not just information about Covid-19 vaccinations or recovery that people are seeking, said Melisa, there has also been an increase in demand for services that go beyond GP care, such as nutrition and mental health support. “There seems to be a shift towards prevention, not just the healthcare for the sick, but also for the healthy,” said Melisa.
“Post-Covid, patient needs have evolved, and virtual care solutions are positions to address them,” she told ITIC attendees. Multiple services are now available from a variety of providers through a comprehensive digital healthcare ecosystem; home-based health screening options and chronic disease management programmes, both with virtual follow-up are available; and medical nutrition therapy with virtual touchpoints, telehealth use cases oriented around wellness and health maintenance are also commonplace.
Melisa then concluded with an overview of MyDoc’s services and how it could assist travel and international health insurers’ service offering through its virtual consult service by providing policyholders with convenient options that allow for care continuity throughout a business trip.
