What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine, also known as telehealth, refers to the range of medical practices using information and communication technologies to enable remote consultations. It encompasses several types of services:

• Teleconsultations: Live video consultations with a healthcare professional
• Remote Monitoring: Remote tracking of medical parameters (blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.)
• Teleexpertise: Exchange of opinions between healthcare professionals regarding a patient
• Teleassistance: Remote medical assistance during medical procedures

Modern telemedicine practices rely on secure platforms compliant with health data protection regulations, ensuring the confidentiality of exchanges and the security of shared medical information.

10 Major Benefits for Patients

1. Easier Access to Care

Telemedicine removes geographical barriers, allowing everyone to access quality care, including people living in rural areas or far from medical centers. It is also a major asset for people with reduced mobility or without transportation.

2. Significant Time Savings

No more travel, parking, and long waits in waiting rooms. A recent study showed that a traditional consultation takes an average of 121 minutes of your time (including travel and waiting), compared to only 15-20 minutes for a teleconsultation.

3. Financial Savings

Online consultations are often less expensive than in-person visits, and you also save on transportation and parking costs. Additionally, the speed of access to care can prevent the worsening of medical conditions, avoiding more costly treatments later.

4. Reduced Risk of Infection

By avoiding crowded waiting rooms, you significantly reduce your risk of catching or transmitting contagious diseases - a particularly important advantage during periods of high viral circulation.

5. Improved Continuity of Care

Telemedicine facilitates regular follow-up of chronic diseases without the burden of frequent office visits. Modern platforms also enable better sharing of medical data between healthcare professionals, ensuring more consistent care.

6. Access to Specialists

Telemedicine gives you access to specialists who may be unavailable locally. This democratization of medical expertise is particularly valuable for patients with rare or complex diseases.

7. Flexible Appointments

Many telemedicine platforms offer consultations outside traditional office hours, even 24/7. This flexibility allows you to consult without taking time off or disrupting your professional or family schedule.

8. Easier Involvement of Loved Ones

Teleconsultations make it easier for family members or caregivers to participate in medical consultations, particularly useful for elderly people or patients who need assistance communicating with their doctor.

9. Less Stress and Anxiety

For many patients, consulting from the comfort of their home significantly reduces the anxiety associated with medical visits, which can lead to more open and productive exchanges with healthcare professionals.

10. Proactive Health Management

The ease of access encourages preventive consultations and regular follow-ups, promoting a more proactive approach to health rather than consulting only in case of serious problems.

Benefits for Healthcare Professionals

Doctors and other healthcare professionals also derive numerous benefits from practicing telemedicine:

Expanded Patient Base

Telemedicine allows professionals to expand their geographical area of practice and reach patients who would otherwise not have access to their services.

Optimized Time Management

Virtual consultations reduce delays and last-minute cancellations, enabling better organization of the schedule and potentially more consultations per day.

Reduced Overhead Costs

For practitioners who primarily or exclusively practice telemedicine, costs related to premises, reception staff, and medical supplies can be significantly reduced.

Better Work-Life Balance

The ability to consult from anywhere offers increased flexibility that can contribute to a better balance between professional and personal life.

Improved Patient Monitoring

Modern telemedicine platforms often integrate monitoring tools that allow doctors to better track the evolution of their patients' health, particularly for chronic diseases.

Which Medical Conditions are Suitable for Telemedicine?

While telemedicine has many advantages, not all medical situations are suitable for remote consultations. Here is an overview of conditions that are well-suited to telemedicine and those that generally require an in-person consultation:

Ideal for Telemedicine

• Minor skin conditions: acne, rashes, mild eczema
• Mild respiratory infections: colds, sinusitis, seasonal allergies
• Follow-up of stable chronic diseases: controlled hypertension, diabetes
• Mental health: anxiety, depression, behavioral therapies
• Prescription renewals for regular medications
• Nutritional and dietary consultations
• Sexual and reproductive health questions: contraception, minor STI symptoms
• Initial symptom evaluation for further orientation

Generally Requiring Physical Consultation

• Medical emergencies: chest pain, severe breathing difficulties
• Complex physical examinations requiring palpation or auscultation
• New or unusual neurological symptoms
• Medical procedures: sutures, biopsies, injections
• Specific diagnostic tests requiring specialized equipment

Increasingly, telemedicine is used as a first filter to assess the severity of a condition and determine if an in-person visit is necessary, optimizing the use of medical resources.

The Best Telemedicine Platforms in 2025

The telemedicine market has evolved significantly in recent years, with platforms offering increasingly comprehensive and specialized services. Here is our selection of the best platforms available in 2025:

Teladoc Health: The Telemedicine Reference

Pioneer and global leader in telemedicine, Teladoc Health offers 24/7 access to certified general practitioners and specialists for a wide variety of medical conditions.

Highlights:

• 24/7 availability, with an average wait time of less than 10 minutes
• Large network of doctors covering more than 20 specialties
• Possible integration with health insurance systems
• Intuitive mobile app available on iOS and Android
• Included mental health services

Learn more about Teladoc Health

Sesame Care: The Affordable Solution

Sesame Care stands out for its transparent pricing and competitive rates without subscription, making healthcare accessible even without insurance.

Highlights:

• Transparent prices starting at $25 per consultation
• No subscription required, pay-per-service
• Booking consultations in advance or same-day
• Wide choice of available specialists
• Ability to choose your doctor after reading reviews

Learn more about Sesame Care

Doctolib: The European Champion

Particularly popular in France and Germany, Doctolib offers a complete online appointment booking and teleconsultation system with your usual doctor or new practitioners.

Highlights:

• Continuity of care with your usual doctors
• Simple and intuitive interface
• Effective reminder and notification system
• Covered by Health Insurance in France
• Secure storage of medical documents

KRY/LIVI: The European Innovator

Originally from Sweden but now present in several European countries, KRY (known as LIVI in some markets) offers a seamless teleconsultation experience and innovative complementary services.

Highlights:

• Particularly intuitive user interface
• Consultations available within a short timeframe
• Specialized psychological follow-up services
• Electronic prescription issuance
• Partnerships with several national health systems

Reimbursement for Online Consultations

The financial coverage of teleconsultations varies significantly depending on the country and insurance systems. Here is an overview of the current situation:

In France

Since 2018, teleconsultations have been reimbursed by Health Insurance in the same way as physical consultations, under certain conditions:

• The consultation must be conducted via video transmission (not just by phone)
• The patient must be referred by their primary care physician (except for exceptions)
• The healthcare professional must be contracted

Coverage is 70% by Health Insurance, with possible complement by mutual insurance.

In Other European Countries

Coverage varies significantly:

• Germany: Partial reimbursement since the 2019 Digital Health Act
• United Kingdom: Free consultations via the NHS for partner services
• Spain: Variable coverage depending on autonomous communities and insurance
• Sweden: Co-payment system similar to physical consultations

In the United States

The American system is highly complex:

• Medicare has expanded telemedicine coverage since the pandemic
• Most private insurers now cover virtual consultations
• The level of coverage varies significantly depending on insurance plans
• Some platforms offer preferential rates for uninsured patients

Tips to Maximize Reimbursement

• Check with your insurance or mutual fund the specific coverage conditions before the consultation
• Ask if your employer offers telemedicine services as part of employee benefits
• Find out about partner platforms of your insurance system, often better reimbursed
• Keep all invoices and documents for reimbursement requests

The Future of Telemedicine

Telemedicine continues to evolve rapidly, with several promising trends shaping its near future:

Artificial Intelligence and Assisted Diagnostics

AI is starting to play an important role in initial patient triage, preliminary symptom analysis, and even diagnostic assistance for certain conditions. Increasingly sophisticated algorithms improve the accuracy of remote assessments.

Connected Medical Devices

The new generation of connected devices enables partial physical examinations remotely: digital stethoscopes, otoscopes, blood pressure monitors, and glucometers significantly enrich the data available during a teleconsultation.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

These technologies are beginning to be used to enhance interactions between doctors and patients, allowing more precise demonstrations or intervention simulations to better explain medical procedures.

Specialized and Hyper-Personalized Services

More and more platforms specialize in specific areas such as mental health, specific chronic diseases, or preventive medicine, offering care pathways tailored to each condition.

Community Telemedicine

In rural areas, a hybrid model is developing with community centers equipped with advanced medical technologies and connected to remote specialists, combining human proximity and medical expertise.

Challenges to Overcome

Despite these promising advances, several challenges remain to be addressed:

• The digital divide and equitable access for all patients
• Confidentiality and data security issues
• Harmonization of regulations between different regions
• Maintaining the quality of the doctor-patient relationship remotely

Conclusion

Telemedicine represents much more than just an alternative to traditional consultations — it constitutes a true transformation of our approach to healthcare, with considerable benefits for both patients and healthcare systems.

While easier access to care, time savings, and financial savings are the most immediately noticeable advantages, it is perhaps the possibility of more regular and proactive medical follow-up that represents the greatest long-term potential of telemedicine to improve public health.

Although some consultations will always require physical presence, the hybrid model emerging for the future of healthcare, combining telemedicine and in-person visits as needed, seems to offer the best of both worlds in terms of efficiency, accessibility, and quality of care.

Faced with an aging population and sometimes limited medical resources, telemedicine appears as an essential solution to maintain and improve access to care for all. Platforms like Teladoc, Sesame Care, and others are at the forefront of this revolution, making healthcare more accessible and personalized than ever.

If you haven't yet tried an online consultation, now might be the time to discover for yourself the many advantages this new approach to healthcare can offer.