Abstract:

The aim of the article is to present the development, key solutions, , benefits and costs of telemedicine in Poland. It shows how the development of new technologies resulting from the fourth industrial revolution (REV 4.0) and the coronavirus pandemic, accelerated the development of telemedicine. The lockdown conditions imposed by the pandemic and the introduction of social isolation in the name of patient and physician safety, froze traditional medical visits and services, shifting the medical market to a remote mode of operations, expanding the provision of telemedicine services. To diagnose the level of telemedicine development, literature studies and original primary research were conducted on the example of one of the primary healthcare clinics in Krakow, Poland. The research presents the challenges posed by Revolution 4.0 and the COVID-19 pandemic for the healthcare sector as well as the benefits and costs of new ways of delivering medical services. The conducted analyzes have provided arguments confirming the thesis that the COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated the use of telemedicine tools in practice. The presented research results and recommendations may be used to build social awareness regarding the need to expand digital competences.