that telehealth and telecare would be extended over the next five years (2012–2017) to reach three million people. United States In the United States, telemedicine companies are collaborating with health insurers and other telemedicine providers to expand marketshare and patient access to telemedicine consultations. , 95% of employers believe their organizations will continue to provide health care benefits over the next five years. The COVID-19 pandemic drove increased usage of Telehealth services in the U.S. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 154% increase in telehealth visits during the last week of March 2020, compared to the same dates in 2019. Switzerland From 1999 to 2018, the University Hospital of Zurich (USZ) offered clinical telemedicine and online medical advice on the Internet. A team of doctors answered around 2500 anonymous inquiries annually, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The team consisted of up to six physicians who are specialists in clinical telemedicine at the USZ and have many years of experience, particularly in internal and general medicine. In the entire period, 59360 inquiries were sent and answered. The majority of the users were female and on average 38 years old. However, in the course of time, considerably more men and older people began to use the service. The diversity of medical queries covered all categories of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) and correlated with the statistical frequency of diseases in hospitals in Switzerland. Most of the inquiries concerned unclassified symptoms and signs, services related to reproduction, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, health services, diseases of the eye and nervous systems, injuries and disorders of the female genital tract. As with the Swedish online medical advice service, one-sixth of the requests related to often shameful and stigmatised diseases of the genitals, gastrointestinal tract, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity and mental disorders. By providing an anonymous space where users can talk about (shameful) diseases, online telemedical services empower patients and their health literacy is enhanced by providing individualized health information. The Clinical Telemedicine and Online Counselling service of the University Hospital of Zurich is currently being revised and will be offered in a new form in the future. Developing countries For developing countries, telemedicine and eHealth can be the only means of healthcare provision in remote areas. For example, the difficult financial situation in many African states and lack of trained health professionals has meant