In the fourth instalment of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on Hong Kong’s growing wellness trends, Lo Hoi-ying examines how telehealth is reshaping access to care, as practitioners warn it cannot fully replace in-person diagnosis.
Hong Kong housewife Chan Ket-yee, nearly 60, has battled severe eczema on her neck and underarms for decades.
Splitting her time between the United Kingdom and the city, Chan saw a dramatic improvement after visiting a Hong Kong public dermatologist, whose treatment plan proved far more effective than UK doctors who “just gave basic advice”.
Telehealth allowed her to manage care seamlessly across time zones, with convenient, long-term support for her condition.
In April, Chan attended a community event by WeDerm, a Hong Kong clinic specialising in integrated eczema care, where she learned about the link between skin and gut health.
She took a gut microbiome test in Hong Kong before returning to the UK for the summer and completed an online follow-up with her nutritionist to review the results.
“When the results came out, I was in the UK, so we communicated via WhatsApp video call,” she said.