Identifying Applied Aspects, Medical Fields, and Technological Trends in Developing Future Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Telemedicine

Abstract

Introduction: Parallel with the growth of technologies, which affect the telemedicine, timely identification of telemedicine entrepreneurial opportunities seems to be necessary for the product development. This study aimed to identify applied aspects, medical fields, and technological trends in developing future entrepreneurial opportunities in telemedicine. Methods: A three-step framework for identifying future entrepreneurial opportunities was employed as a trend analysis method to identify telemedicine technological trends and the cross impact analysis to predict future strategic trends in the field. This was done by completing the 9*9 matrix in a panel of 5 experts in this field, and reviewing 109 articles in the Scopus database with keyword search (Telemedicine and Opportunity) to identify practical aspects and future of telemedicine opportunities. Results: In the first step, 9 technological trends affecting the future of telemedicine were identified. In the second step, the technological trends of artificial intelligence along with the Internet of Things were identified as effective trends; wearable technologies and cloud computing were identified as strategic trends. In the final step, it was revealed that practical aspects (i.e., prevention, diagnosis, treatment and healthy living), as well as psychology and psychiatry, education, information acquisition, nutrition, and cardiology, shape a great majority of opportunities for telemedicine in the next 5 years. Conclusion: To develop a successful new product in telemedicine, a three-dimensional framework (applied aspects, fields of medicine, and technology) should be considered; therefore, establishing cooperation between technology development companies and health companies seems to be necessary.

Keywords

• opportunities
• entrepreneurship
• telemedicine