Aging populations and low-income groups face barriers to the adoption of telemedicine.
The rise of telemedicine has transformed health care delivery, but rapid advances in digitalization are leaving vulnerable patient groups behind, industry leaders say.
Frederick Tay, director of Joyce A. Tan & Partners LLC, emphasized that the aging population and low-income groups are the groups most affected by the increasing reliance on advanced digital platforms for telemedicine. “Many users of this telemedicine may actually be an older population with chronic conditions. They may be struggling with increasingly advanced telemedicine platforms,” he said.
He further explained that limited access to high-speed internet exacerbates the problem, preventing marginalized families from effectively using telemedicine. “The intensity of platform data usage means households without access to faster networks are increasingly marginalized,” Tay added.
BIMA founder and CEO Gustaf Agarston echoed these concerns, saying the lack of connectivity excludes a large portion of potential users. He pointed to a similar problem in Pakistan, where the illiteracy rate is about 60 percent, making text-based platforms impractical.
Both experts agree that telemedicine platforms must adapt to be more inclusive. Tay emphasized the importance of designing user-friendly systems that take into account not only patients but also their caregivers. “When designing platforms, they should make sure they support not only the patient but the ecosystem that supports the patient, such as primary caregivers,” he said.
Agatston advocates multi-language and low-bandwidth solutions to meet diverse needs. “In our market, we operate in many different local languages, and we basically need a team of doctors who speak different languages,” he said.
On the regulatory front, Tay noted the lack of specific rules requiring accessibility for patients without digital experience. In Singapore, telemedicine is governed by broader telemedicine regulations, which do not require telemedicine to be available to all patient groups. He noted that existing guidelines focus more on ensuring service quality rather than platform availability.
Agaston added that while WHO guidance provides some direction, companies often need to go beyond the recommendations to reach underserved people.
