OBJECTIVES: The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic serves as a pivotal catalyst for greater adoption of digital solutions, especially telemedicine, to ease the burden on the healthcare systems, transform healthcare delivery and curb the virus spread. This research aimed to present the COVID-19 influence on current and future telemedicine trends in Europe.

METHODS: Targeted literature review was conducted in Medline/Embase database and complemented by hand-search through web-based resources.

RESULTS: Before COVID-19, the use of telemedicine was limited due to regulatory and reimbursement restrictions, resistance to innovation and variations in digital readiness. Currently, an unprecedented surge in demand for telemedicine occurred reducing the risk of infections, leading to improved clinical outcomes, increasing clinical staff productivity, reducing patient stress and in the end, lowering healthcare costs. In the United Kingdom, demand for teleconsultations increased from 300 to 3,000 per hour since COVID-19 just for one application, whereas in Germany, growth rates in telemedicine were surpassed by 1,000% in a few weeks. In France, a reduction of up to half a million visits was estimated just for the Paris region. In the Spanish region, Catalonia, approximately 70% of conventional face-to-face visits are now conducted virtually. Digital visits were already available in Sweden, yet quantity restrictions were abolished, and additional providers were trained to expand the use of existing teleconsultations. Some reimbursement models faced adoptions to reimburse teleconsultations similarly as conventional visits. Post-pandemic, adoption of telemedicine is expected to continue to grow especially in France, the UK and Sweden due to already well-established digital readiness. Despite telemedicine expansion, many barriers remain regarding data privacy or access disparities.

CONCLUSIONS: Current trends may translate into the wider use of telemedicine and incorporation of digital measures in routine practice. It should be followed by regulatory changes, increased funding, well-developed communication infrastructure, and uptake of incentives to ensure broad access to remote healthcare.