Healthcare facilitator Practo finds significant rise in online consultation for gynaecology in India

With growing apprehensions around various health issues amidst Covid-19, more and more people, especially women, are using telemedicine to get their doubts clarified by experts, the company said.

Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer, Practo, said, “Telemedicine is making a very positive contribution to healthcare during the pandemic, and is being used by the people not just for coronavirus related queries but also for other medical conditions. This helps them receive proper medical care from their homes without having to visit hospitals and thereby minimizing their risk of contracting the virus. Telemedicine ensures that doctors are available 24*7 for people so that they receive timely medical attention. We are helping more and more doctors to help consult their patients online, also ensuring there is no disruption in access to quality healthcare for patients.”

Gynaecology is among the top most consulted specialties on Practo as many routine gynaecology and prenatal care appointments have transitioned to virtual visits.

Gynaecologists who consult online have indicated, according to the company, that a lot of women have been reaching out to them with queries like unanticipated irregularity in periods and how expectant mothers can have a safe pregnancy, among others.

According to the Practo Health Insights, since the Covid-19 outbreak, one in every three consulttations sought by women were for gynaecology-related issues

The company also noticed a significant rise in the number of women aged 60 and above consulting gynaecologists online.

The Insight also mentioned that top metro cities where most of the queries related to gynaecology came were from Bangalore, followed by Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai; among tier 2 cities, most of the queries came from Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneshwar, and Mysore.

Top queries discussed were menstrual problems, pregnancy complications, birth control techniques, and miscarriage.
 
Dr Vanita Vaishnav, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bengaluru, said, “Digital platforms like Practo provide a great opportunity for people, especially women, to seek medical assistance from specialized doctors by empowering them with the right information, and easy access to quality healthcare. In difficult times like these, digital healthcare has played a significant role in improving the overall experience of patients in terms of accessibility, quality, convenience, and especially trust.”