Video calling with a GP or psychologist

AXA Partners Benelux ontwikkelde enkele jaren geleden een teleconsultatieservice voor de Benelux-markt. Videobellen kan zowel met een huisarts als met een psycholoog. De dienstverlening Teleconsultatie for Travel biedt AXA Partners Benelux developed a teleconsultation service for the Benelux market several years ago. It enables video calling with both GPs and psychologists. The Teleconsultation for Travel service offers Belgian and Dutch travellers the reassurance that they can always video-call a GP in their home country for their medical questions, even from abroad. 

Simple and super useful

If you want a teleconsultation, just call the AXA Partners service team. They will quickly arrange an appointment – within half an hour is possible, depending on the type of service the customer needs. At the scheduled time, your customer will speak to a medical specialist via a secure video connection. 

Development and growth

The teleconsultation service was started shortly before the pandemic and although groundbreaking in the Benelux region, it initially met with only limited success. However, the pandemic accelerated the digitalisation of medical care and awareness of the advantages of teleconsultation increased. This resulted in a marked rise in the use of this service. 

Take, for example, the increased use by end customers of one of our Business Partners. In 2021, the number of calls increased by 55% and then by even 72% in 2022, compared to the previous year. Currently, in mid-2023, we are again seeing an increase of 30% compared to last year.  

In recent years, the teleconsultation offering has been expanded to include psychological services and assistance for travellers worldwide. The expansion of both the number of Business Partners that are integrating this service into their service offering, and the number of end customers that are using it, makes it clear that teleconsultation is becoming an indispensable part of the healthcare journey for customers. 

Teleconsultation with general practitioners

65% of requests in Belgium for teleconsultation with a general practitioner are made by women. Surprisingly, this higher share is not explained by the assumption that mothers are more likely to arrange teleconsultations for their children. Because the ratio between men and women who call for a child is essentially 50-50%. In total, 15% of all teleconsultations were about medical questions concerning the caller's child. 

59% of all applicants (non-travel) are French-speaking, compared to 38% Dutch-speaking and 3% English-speaking users. 

The teleconsultation service is used evenly throughout the year. Only in June were fewer requests received, while March is the top month. 72% of all requests occur during the day, compared to 28% in the evening or at night. 

Teleconsultations while traveling

A striking trend in the number of teleconsultation requests from customers abroad: by mid-2023, more teleconsultations were carried out for travellers in Greece than in all of 2022 combined. The comfort and support of being able to consult a doctor in one's home country proves to be important for customers when problems arise, in this case the major fires and extreme heat in Greece. 

Partly because of this, teleconsultations with travellers in Greece account for 28% of all foreign calls. Spain is a close second at nearly the same level with 26% of all requests, followed by the Netherlands with 14%. In addition, Dutch people who want to consult a Dutch GP while traveling in Belgium make up 15% of all teleconsultations. 

Regardless of natural phenomena and other disasters, the option of video calling with a doctor while traveling is clearly very valuable for customers. These requests from abroad currently account for 75% of all teleconsultations in 2023. However, it should be borne in mind that Teleconsultation for Travel is specifically offered through a few Business Partners and for a larger region. 

Teleconsultations with psychologists

The possibility of talking to a psychologist via video consultation meets the need for quickly accessible mental health care. 

58% of these teleconsultations are requested by women. 10% of all requests are from a parent for a child. Compared to teleconsultations with general practitioners, the service with psychologists is used by slightly more Dutch speakers (51%). 46% of conversations are in French and 3% in English.  

The need for accessible and high-quality psychological support is present in different age groups. Yet it is striking that the age group between 30 and 40 requests 43% of all teleconsultations with psychologists. This is followed by both 40 to 50-year-olds and 50 to 60-year-olds, with 17% each, together with the group of 18 to 30-year-olds (18%). 

Started in 2020, 2021 was definitely the year in which the most requests were received. The figures for this year already equal the numbers for the entire year of 2022. 

Teleconsultation: the essential new component of your insurance and service offering

Teleconsultation has become an indispensable part of the contemporary healthcare journey for your customers. A simple and quick video call with a doctor or psychologist meets their digital expectations and healthcare needs. Are you the one who offers this valuable service to your customers? Then you're in an advantageous position to become their healthcare partner for life! 

Want to know more about our teleconsultation services? Would you like to exchange ideas at no obligation on how you can integrate them into your offering? Then feel free to contact our advisers.