Flexible Work Trend and Healthcare Accessibility Fuel Telemedicine
The growing trend of flexible work arrangements and the increasing demand for accessible healthcare should position telemedicine as a key corporate benefit to enhance employee health and productivity. Online medical consultations reduce travel time for in-person appointments and minimize lost workdays due to untreated health issues, thus minimizing the impact of factors affecting work performance.
Notable Rise of Telemedicine in Mexico
Mexico is experiencing a significant surge in telemedicine, as reported by the HealthTech México Association’s Radar 2023 study. The health tech industry grew by 300% in 2022, with teleconsultations quadrupling since 2018 and digital medical prescriptions increasing by 3.5 times. According to Statista, digital health revenue in Mexico reached $1,930 million in 2023. Globally, health and technology investments are projected to hit $660,000 million by 2025.
Unique Challenges in Mexico’s Healthcare System
Despite the telemedicine boom, Mexico’s healthcare system presents unique challenges that hinder replicating successful models from other countries, such as DOC24 in Argentina and Brazil. The issue lies in the fact that Mexican insurance companies lack incentives to improve employee health, while businesses already pay into the IMSS and need to invest in private options for better employee well-being.
DOC24’s Mexican Operations and Leadership
Led by CEO Pablo Utrera, who has over two decades of experience in healthcare management, DOC24 began operations in Mexico in 2021 with the mission to connect patients, doctors, hospitals, and insurers through a digital platform. Currently serving 100,000 people in Mexico, it lags behind Argentina and Brazil, where it covers nearly 10 million people by offering high-quality video consultations in general medicine and specialties like psychology (48.7%), nutrition (23.6%), gastroenterology (6%), and dermatology (5.6%).
Cross-Incentivized Healthcare System in Mexico
Unlike Argentina’s fragmented healthcare system controlled by unions or Brazil, where private insurers cover everything from consultations to transplants, Mexico presents a unique scenario. The IMSS covers part of the population, but those without it face barriers to accessing quality care. CAFs (First Contact Attendance Facilities) have gained ground due to their accessibility and low cost, but their reactive model focuses on medication prescription rather than prevention.
Mexican Insurers’ Perspective on Telemedicine
Unlike their South American counterparts, Mexican insurers do not view telemedicine as a long-term cost-reduction tool, focusing instead on major medical expenses rather than primary care. This limits the adoption of solutions like DOC24, which found natural allies in Argentina and Brazil among insurers and hospitals. In Mexico, DOC24 has shifted its focus to the corporate market, offering telemedicine as an employee benefit, especially in mental health, which accounts for over half of scheduled consultations.
Mental Health and Prevention: DOC24’s Added Value
The pandemic intensified the demand for psychological care, and DOC24 responded with innovative solutions. Besides consultations with psychologists, the platform offers self-management circuits based on scientific questionnaires that assess anxiety, burnout, or sleep problems, providing preventive recommendations. It has also incorporated AI for emotional support, addressing topics like grief or stress.
The Challenge of Education and Recognition
After being a leading figure in digital healthcare in Argentina, DOC24 has the potential to extend its leadership across Latin America. However, it faces Mexico, a late adopter of teleconsultations due to the pandemic, lacking preventive culture and policies. Utrera emphasizes patient education as key: “It’s not about replacing in-person consultations but teaching what can be resolved remotely and what cannot.”
DOC24’s Strategic Partnerships and Future Plans
DOC24 has found opportunities in strategic alliances, such as its partnership with Prudential via Mercado Pago, offering telemedicine as an additional benefit to policyholders. The platform resolves 80% to 90% of first-contact consultations with medical protocols ensuring safety and clarity, channeling patients to in-person care when necessary.
Advanced Technological Solutions
DOC24 not only provides teleconsultations but also advanced technological solutions that eliminate barriers to healthcare access. Among its innovations is a portable briefcase with cutting-edge medical devices integrated with software enabling professionals to conduct remote diagnoses accurately. This equipment is already operational in Mexico, ideal for corporate environments or mobile clinics.
Futuristic Multi-Diagnostic Cabins on the Way to Mexico
DOC24 has developed multi-diagnostic cabins, resembling futuristic stations equipped with interconnected devices operating through proprietary software. These cabins enable remote patients in underserved areas to be attended by specialists anywhere in the world, breaking the distance barrier. In Argentina, DOC24 has installed 30 of these cabins in a municipality of 400,000 residents and is expanding the model to southern provinces. In Mexico, the company expects to introduce them this year after obtaining Cofepris authorization, a complex process due to the need to register this novel device configuration.
A Sustainable Future for Telemedicine in Mexico
Telemedicine has numerous benefits, including economic and environmental advantages: each virtual consultation reduces CO2 emissions equivalent to what a tree absorbs in a year, and its low data consumption makes it accessible even in areas with limited connectivity. However, for Mexico to fully leverage its potential, it’s essential to align healthcare system incentives, promote prevention, and educate the population. With its portable briefcases, multi-diagnostic cabins, and mental health focus, DOC24 lays the groundwork for a more preventive and sustainable care model, though Utrera acknowledges that overcoming unique sociocultural and structural barriers in the Mexican market remains a challenge.
