Scientific Summary: OECD Report on the Future of Telemedicine (2025)

1. What Is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine means providing healthcare services remotely, using phone calls, video chats, or mobile apps instead of in-person visits.
Doctors can give advice, monitor patients, send prescriptions, or follow up from a distance.
It helps people avoid long travel, get care faster, and stay safe during emergencies.
2. Who Published the Report?
The report was published in 2025 by the OECD
(an international group of 38 countries with the world’s strongest and most advanced economies, focused on policy and economic development).
The report is titled: “Beyond the Pandemic: Leading Practices for the Future of Telemedicine.”
3. What the Report Says
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine use increased sharply. After the crisis, many countries kept using it, but some have no long-term plan—meaning they used telemedicine as a temporary solution and have not built it into their normal healthcare system.
4. Benefits of Telemedicine
• Makes care available in rural or remote areas
• Helps during pandemics, disasters, or for patients who cannot travel
• Reduces waiting time and avoids crowded clinics
5. Current Challenges
Even though telemedicine is useful, many countries still face problems:
• Poor internet access in some regions
• Doctors and nurses need more digital training
• Health systems don’t always connect well (interoperability issues)
• No stable payment models in some countries
→ In some places, doctors don’t know if they’ll get paid for virtual visits, because there are no clear or lasting payment rules.
→ This makes it hard for hospitals to invest in telemedicine services.
6. OECD’s Eight Best Practices to Improve Telemedicine
The report recommends eight actions countries should take:
• Collect and study data regularly to know how telemedicine is used and whether it helps patients.
• Use clear billing codes so that every virtual visit is recorded correctly and providers get paid fairly.
• Set long-term funding rather than paying only during emergencies. This gives hospitals confidence to keep offering telemedicine.
• Involve patients and doctors in decision-making. Their feedback helps improve the system and makes it more user-friendly.
• Use safe and easy digital platforms so patients and providers feel comfortable.
• Make telemedicine part of regular care, not just an extra service.
• Focus on inclusion, making sure elderly, low-income, and rural patients can access care.
• Track results often to improve service quality and safety over time.
7. What Governments Should Do
• Build national digital health plans
• Invest in broadband and staff training
• Make telemedicine services permanent and well-regulated
• Ensure fair access for everyone
8. Final Message
Telemedicine is more than a tool for emergencies. With proper planning, funding, and integration, it can become a core part of modern, inclusive, and efficient healthcare.
Source:
OECD – Beyond the Pandemic: Leading Practices for the Future of Telemedicine