Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Methodol. Jun 20, 2025; 15(2): 98513
Published online Jun 20, 2025. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i2.98513
Strategic insights of telehealth platforms and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of Amazon's clinical endeavors
Harpreet Grewal, Gagandeep Dhillon, Venkata Buddhavarapu, Ram Kishun Verma, Ripudaman Singh Munjal, Pranjal Sharma, Gurmanpreet Sidhu, Rahul Kashyap, Salim Surani
Harpreet Grewal, Department of Radiology, Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Pensacola, FL 32503, United States
Gagandeep Dhillon, Department of Medicine, UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, MD 21061, United States
Venkata Buddhavarapu, Department of Medicine, Banner Baywood Medical Center, Banner Health, Mesa, AZ 85206, United States
Ram Kishun Verma, Department of Sleep Medicine, Parkview Health System, Fort Wayne, IN 46845, United States
Ripudaman Singh Munjal, Department of Medicine, Touro university College of Osteopathic Medicine, Vallejo, CA 94592, United States
Pranjal Sharma, Department of Nephrology, Northeast Ohio Medical Center, Rootstown, OH 44272, United States
Gurmanpreet Sidhu, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College Patiala, Patiala 147001, Punjab, India
Rahul Kashyap, Department of Research, Wellspan Health, York, PA 17403, United States
Rahul Kashyap, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, United States
Salim Surani, Department of Medicine & Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
Author contributions: Grewal H and Kashyap R conceptualized the study and coordinated the research activities; Dhillon G and Budhavarapu V contributed to data analysis, literature review; Verma R, Munjal R, and Sharma P contributed to data collection, methodology section; Sidhu G performed manuscript editing and proofreading; Surani S reviewed and supervised the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors have any conflict of interest to disclose.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Salim Surani, FCCP, MD, MS, Professor, Department of Medicine & Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, 40 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77843, United States. srsurani@hotmail.com
Received: June 27, 2024
Revised: July 23, 2024
Accepted: July 31, 2024
Published online: June 20, 2025
Processing time: 152 Days and 17.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

The adoption of telehealth services surged after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, revolutionizing traditional healthcare delivery models. Amazon Clinic's recent nationwide launch marks a significant milestone in this trend. This study aims to offer a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of Amazon Clinic and compare its features with leading virtual healthcare platforms.

AIM

To evaluate Amazon Clinic's telehealth services through a SWOT analysis and compare its features with other leading virtual healthcare platforms.

METHODS

The initial search terms included were, amazon clinic odds ratio (OR) amwell OR Teladoc OR Walmart virtual health service OR CVS minute clinic OR CirrusMD OR brightside health, from 2000 to 2023. This search yielded 111 articles, from which duplicates were removed, and unrelated titles were filtered out. Eight articles were retained for a final review, including comparative studies, usability research, retrospective analyses, observational studies, and review articles. The data was organized and analyzed using Rayyan software and summarized in a table and PRISMA flowcharts.

RESULTS

The review included eight articles focusing on various aspects of telehealth. Comparative studies highlighted differences between Teladoc and traditional physician offices, noting lower diagnostic imaging orders and antibiotic prescriptions for Teladoc. User demographics for Teladoc showed younger, less engaged patients. Usability studies emphasized the importance of website design for telemedicine adoption. Tele-mental health platforms like Brightside showed superior outcomes in treating depression compared to traditional methods. Telemedicine for specialized fields like skin reconstruction demonstrated cost efficiency and reduced waiting times. The SWOT analysis identified Amazon Clinic's strengths, such as its vast consumer base and transparent pricing, and weaknesses like the lack of pediatric care. Opportunities included potential partnerships and service expansions, while threats involved competition and regulatory challenges.

CONCLUSION

Amazon Clinic's entry into the telehealth sector represents a significant development with various strengths and opportunities. However, it faces challenges from established healthcare providers and regulatory landscapes. The future success of Amazon Clinic will depend on strategic collaborations, addressing service gaps, and navigating competition and regulations. Telemedicine's impact will hinge on its ability to effectively leverage these opportunities and overcome inherent challenges in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape.

Keywords: Tele-health; Amazon; COVID-19; Primary Care; Outpatient clinic; SWOT; Telemedicine

Core Tip: Telemedicine has been in the armamentarium for patient care for a while. It surged during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. To address the shortage of healthcare providers and the accessibility of care, business industries and venture capitalists have invested resources in providing 24/7 virtual healthcare. This review discusses telemedicine, its implications, and the role of major organizations such as Amazon in providing telehealth. It also assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.