Telemedicine in the Time of COVID
By Dr. Reid Maclellan
Telehealth is currently revolutionizing primary care and patient-doctor interactions. The unexpected yet positive changes to healthcare infrastructure initiated by the COVID-19 virus will likely remain long after the pandemic recedes, leaving us with a reformed healthcare system that utilizes technology to improve patient efficacy.
Prior to COVID-19, telehealth was a trending subject, yet not fully utilized. Then the novel coronavirus swept the globe and brought everything to a grinding halt. As patients began to flood new COVID-dedicated hospital wings and others quarantined, social-distanced, and donned masks, all other patient visits plummeted. And as the pandemic months passed and the pressure mounted on the healthcare system, telemedicine came to the rescue, offering patients a wider range of healthcare services via virtual visits and offering the industry a glimpse of the future of healthcare technology. Unprecedented governmental policies have been passed, allowing for more seamless interaction with patients and doctors from the comfort—and safety—of their own homes. And patient satisfaction appears to be higher than during the era of office visits, making it official: Telehealth has undoubtedly been brought to the forefront of medicine and is likely here to stay.
Federal Policies Open Door for Telehealth Adoption
The exponential growth of telemedicine—a projected 65% growth rate in 2020 alone—would not be as significant as we have witnessed without the legal policy changes that have bolstered its expansion. In response to calls for flexibility and increased access to telemedicine tools during the COVID-19 public health emergency, federal privacy regulations were loosened and payment policies were relaxed on a “temporary and emergency basis” as result of actions taken by the Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Under the recent changes, telehealth is now covered by Medicare with patients gaining access to a wider range of health care services provided by physicians and a range of other providers, including nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers. Moreover, CMS has waived the medical licensure-and-telehealth policy requiring the physician to be licensed in the state where the patient is located at the time of treatment. And OCR, at their discretion, will not impose regulatory penalties during the “good faith provision of telehealth” during the COVID-19 public health emergency, citing the concern for at-risk patients, specifically older persons and persons with disabilities, and the intent to limit the risk of COVID-19 infection. And just last month, a bipartisan bill titled Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act was introduced in the House and has seen a very favorable response from both sides of the aisle.
Now that the government has provided pathways for telemedicine to expand, the positive feedback received from both clinicians and patients has revealed the potential of telemedicine to positively impact lives now and in the future.
Telehealth Gains Traction
Pressure stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic opened the door for the widespread implementation of telehealth with guidelines quickly developed so physicians could effectively provide care. Since this tectonic shift in March 2020, telemedicine as a healthcare delivery means has become more streamlined, refined, and tangibly realized the future of medicine. The adoption rate of this healthcare solution has been nothing short of breathtaking with a staggering 90% of physicians treating patients remotely and most of those surveyed reporting that they intend to continue after the pandemic ends. And the doctors aren’t alone in their approval. Patient satisfaction with telemedicine is also extremely high, showing that the virtualization of certain medical practices is here to stay. The proof is in the numbers with the emerging telehealth market size projected to grow by 65% in 2020 and predicted to reach $266.8 billion by 2026. And it is forecasted that 20% of all Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial private insurer visits will be virtualized in the future.
Overall, efforts from the government combined with the seamless transition of patient care to virtual platforms and the resulting patient and physician satisfaction has proven the power of telemedicine. It is clear that the pandemic-induced adoption of telehealth will bring around long-lasting changes in healthcare.