There is at least one use case where I would consider using them: to explain to others about bitcoin key-pairs.
I have never used a paper wallet before but I read about HD wallets, keys and addresses to understand. If someone wants to know more about bitcoin, this can be explained in HD wallets because the child private keys and child public keys are pairs with the addresses, while the child private key can be used as backup.
As for me, it depends, but I would not recommend paper wallet especially for newbies as a result of mnemonic or seed phrase which are just words and easy to backup.
If HD wallet can be used as a paper wallet by generating the seed phrase, keys and addresses offline on a secure and safe offline device while the seed phrase is properly backup in different locations safe from attackers and damages. I prefer this method.
Sure, electrum might be the easiest tool that currently exists for obtaining a single key. But is it more efficient than, say, bitaddress or iancoleman? At those places, all you have to do is click on a Generate button - no wallet creation is required.
All that is required is for people to know how to safely generate a single key wallet, multiple individual single keys can be generated on Electrum with their corresponding addresses but BIP38 encryption may not be possible using Electrum. In my opinion, I see all methods to be very easy for a technical person that knows about it very well without making a mistake.