Despite the increased use of telemedicine in recent years, for long-term sustainability, there is a need to design, implement and assess the role of telehealth in primary care. Evidence from the pandemic suggests that telemedicine can be the path to building resilient primary care systems.
However, lack of policy support for digital health interventions, non-availability of a competent workforce, and underinvestment in essential healthcare services and infrastructure, all contribute to challenges to strengthening primary care. Other barriers to telemedicine’s implementation include unreliability of internet connection in rural areas, absence of clearly articulated regulatory frameworks, lack of conformity to standards, non-user-friendly technologies, and flawed implementation strategies.
Only when the above-mentioned issues are resolved, telemedicine will lead to a continuum of care and greater patient engagement. Moreover, a digital health strategy is required that consists of e-prescriptions, electronic health records, and links to diagnostic information systems to improve the functionality of large-scale telemedicine programs.