La crise de l’offre de soins peut-elle être amortie par la téléconsultation territoriale ? Premiers enseignements pour la Normandie

Since 2018, and at an increasingly rapid pace, private companies have been deploying medical teleconsultation booths and kiosks throughout the national territory in easily accessible public places, mainly in pharmacies. These devices are developed by private companies from the French Tech movement, with the dual argument of fighting against medical desertification and anticipating the aging of the population, on the assumption that advancing age will in fact lead to greater needs in terms of healthcare provision across the national territory. Against a backdrop of discourse against neglect of the territory, with the agreement and sometimes active participation of local public actors, private teleconsultation kiosks are rapidly being deployed. They fit into the current of «technological solutionism» and present themselves as a remedy for the crisis in the health and social sector, which continues to worsen across the entire national territory. The situation in Normandy reveals that the ongoing deployment of medical teleconsultation booths is dynamic in medically vulnerable areas, but currently does not address the hardest hit zones by the shortage of Norman doctors. The article concludes with an initial report of usage, ultimately showing that these devices are especially appreciated for their ability to respond to medical emergencies and the recurring follow-up of patients who do not live in medical desertification zones.