Global Policy, Research, and Legislative Shifts Redefine the Telemedicine Market

Lede – Three recent developments — WHO Europe’s release of new guidance for improving telemedicine services, Harvard Medical School’s call for clear rules to maximize benefits, and a U.S. House bill seeking to make telehealth expansions permanent — collectively underscore the regulatory momentum, ethical debates, and policy-driven opportunities shaping the future of the Telemedicine Market.

1.  WHO Europe’s Telemedicine Guidance – Raising Standards Across Borders

In July 2024, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Europe introduced its first dedicated guidance to help countries strengthen telemedicine adoption. The recommendations cover key areas such as patient safety, ethical practice, data protection, and system interoperability.

The guidance reflects lessons from the pandemic, when rapid digital adoption often outpaced safeguards. WHO’s framework aims to harmonize practices across member states, reducing fragmentation and ensuring telemedicine complements — rather than compromises - traditional health services.

WHO/Europe Support – A Practical Tool for Countries Advancing Telemedicine

As part of its wider digital health strategy, WHO/Europe has made technical assistance a strategic priority, aiming to help member states build high-quality, patient-centered telemedicine services. To support this, the organization has launched a practical tool developed in collaboration with the Open University of Catalonia, a WHO Collaborating Centre in eHealth.

The tool brings together international best practices and knowledge on telemedicine to guide stakeholders through the full cycle of adoption — from design and development to implementation, optimization, and evaluation.

By applying the framework, governments and healthcare providers can:

• Assess their readiness to deliver telemedicine services

• Define a clear strategic vision

• Identify resource, infrastructure, and workforce requirements

• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness over time

Importantly, the tool is aligned with both the Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region and the broader WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health, ensuring consistency with international priorities and long-term digital health transformation goals.

2.  Harvard Medical School – Telemedicine Needs the “Right Rules”

A recent Harvard Medical School (HMS) report argued that while telemedicine can dramatically expand access and improve patient outcomes, its potential is curtailed without a strong policy foundation.

The findings highlight gaps in reimbursement models, provider training, and digital inclusion. Uneven rules across states and health systems, HMS researchers warned, risk creating “islands of innovation” rather than broad systemic change. For telemedicine to transform care long-term, consistent standards and equitable access are essential.

Cost-Benefit Analysis – Telemedicine Lessons from COVID-19

Harvard Medical School researchers found that health systems making greater use of telemedicine during 2021–2022 — the critical COVID-19 recovery years — saw fewer non-COVID emergency visits and stronger medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases. While overall spending rose slightly, the improvements in access and continuity of care were clear.

These findings echo broader pandemic-era studies showing that telemedicine became a lifeline for mental health, pediatrics, and rural communities when in-person care was disrupted. The evidence suggests that virtual care not only filled gaps during the crisis but also created long-term habits of more consistent engagement with healthcare.

Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, who presented these results to the U.S. Congress, stressed that given telemedicine’s proven role during and after COVID-19, making Medicare’s expanded telehealth coverage permanent is a logical next step.

3.  U.S. House Bill – Making Telehealth Expansions Permanent

In the United States, lawmakers are moving toward permanence. A bill backed by the American Medical Association (AMA) proposes embedding many of the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities into law. These include Medicare coverage for virtual visits, licensing flexibility for cross-state care, and infrastructure investments to expand broadband access.

If passed, the legislation would remove key uncertainties for providers and patients, ensuring virtual care is not viewed as a temporary emergency measure but as a permanent pillar of healthcare delivery.

Patients and Physicians Push for Permanent Telehealth

Congress extended temporary Medicare telehealth waivers by six months, set to expire in September 2025. These flexibilities, introduced during COVID-19, expanded access to rural and underserved patients, including audio-only visits.

The impact has been clear: at Sanford Health, one in five behavioral health visits is now virtual, saving patients more than 51 million miles of travel over a decade. Nationwide, 74% of physicians now offer telehealth, triple the pre-pandemic rate.

Physicians and the AMA warn that rolling back coverage would disrupt care. With bipartisan support, stakeholders agree the next step is to make telehealth a permanent part of U.S. healthcare.

4.  Next Move Strategy Consulting – What This Means for the Telemedicine Market

These developments are distinct but signal a common theme: telemedicine is shifting from an ad-hoc solution to an integrated part of health systems. Based on our analysis at Next Move Strategy Consulting, here’s what stakeholders should anticipate:

• Policy certainty reduces risk: Legislation and WHO frameworks give providers and investors confidence to make long-term commitments to digital infrastructure rather than stopgap measures.

• Compliance and trust as differentiators: Companies embedding data security, ethical practices, and patient transparency into their platforms will gain a competitive edge as regulations tighten.

• Interoperability drives scaling: WHO’s emphasis on cross-border standards opens opportunities for telemedicine platforms to expand internationally with fewer integration hurdles.

• Equity and access remain critical: Broadband expansion and language/localization support will separate scalable telemedicine providers from those serving only urban and affluent populations.

• Healthcare model transformation: Telemedicine is moving into the value-based care conversation — not as a parallel system but as a core mechanism for reducing costs, improving outcomes, and expanding reach.

5.  Practical Implications for Stakeholders

• Healthcare providers: Begin embedding telemedicine into mainstream workflows rather than treating it as an add-on.

• Technology vendors: Invest in compliance-ready, interoperable solutions to prepare for global scaling.

• Insurers and payers: Leverage permanent coverage models to integrate virtual care into cost-saving strategies.

• Investors: Look for firms with both tech maturity and policy alignment — those positioned to benefit from regulation-driven growth.

• Policymakers: Expect growing pressure to not just legalize but actively incentivize telemedicine for underserved populations.

6.  Conclusion

Recent policy moves, academic insights, and legislative proposals show that telemedicine is at an inflection point. With frameworks from WHO, research-driven calls for fair rules, and legislative momentum in the U.S., the Telemedicine Market is evolving into a core healthcare delivery model.

Over the next several years, success will depend less on novelty and more on who can deliver compliant, interoperable, and equitable solutions at scale.

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