One healthcare trend that emerged since the beginning of the pandemic was
telehealth/virtual visits. These visits took place of regular doctors visits so
that despite the pandemic, people could still be seen by their regular doctors
for chronic care management as well as acute care management. So why was
telehealth never really a thing prior to the pandemic? Well, demand for it
wasn't really there, and I also think a lot of people didn't know that seeing
their doctor through facetime or through their phones/laptops/ipads was
even possible. "The Covid-19 crisis, for all the death and damage it has
caused, has forced America’s slow and cumbersome health care system to
become more nimble and accommodating to patients, who are suddenly free
to use video conferencing apps or dial up their doctors to get care in their
living rooms and on their own terms. It has not just made care more
convenient, but also allowed many patients to resolve medical problems
without visiting emergency rooms or urgent care clinics." (Taylor et al.,
2021). Another reason telehealth wasn't big prior to the pandemic was due to
the financial side of it; physicians just weren't reimbursed the same for
telehealth visits as they were for in-person visits. Why would a doctor offer
a service that made them less money? Fortunately during the pandemic, the
way these visits were billed and reimbursed changed; telehealth visits were
billed and reimbursed the same as regular doctors visits thanks to a change
the federal government put into place: "Hospitals and physician practices
rely on reimbursements for visits and tests and other care provided in person
to stay in business. While the pandemic forced the sudden shift in care, it
could only happen because the federal government temporarily relaxed
regulations and boosted reimbursements for telehealth services." (Taylor et
al., 2021). Other the financial implications surrounding telehealth visits,
there are a few other barriers to such appointments with an individuals
medical doctor, and these include no access to internet or technology for the
visit, as well as lack of hands-on medical assessments by the provider. There
is only so much assessing you can do through a facetime call, in my opinion,
and certain medical situations warrant an in-person evaluation. It is very
difficult to diagnose something acute going on with your patient without
being able to assess them in person; how can you tell if someone has a lung
infection without listening to lung sounds? If someone has an ear infection
without looking into the ear? These telehealth visits while convenient, they
do have their limitations. Despite the financial implications and the
limitations of assessment, I do believe telehealth visits are important to
many patients, and doing away with this service would have negative affects
on the many patients that rely on them. I hope something can be done about
how these visits are reimbursed in the long-term so we can keep them as an
available option, and ensure providers are also willing to continue to offer
them.
References
Taylor, J., Wright, A., & Summers, M. (2021). The pandemic silver lining:
preparing osteopathic learners to address healthcare needs using telehealth.
Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 122(1), 15–20.
https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0162
