Does Telemedicine Work?

As a healthcare provider, have you been relying on telemedicine during the COVID pandemic?

​If so, you’re among the 60% to 90% of physicians who are, according to the AMA. But how well does telemedicine really work?

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Does Telemedicine Work?

More Providers Relying on Telehealth
​During Pandemic

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As a healthcare provider, have you been relying on telemedicine during the COVID pandemic? If so, you’re among the 60% to 90% of physicians who are, according to the AMA. But how well does telemedicine really work?

​Accelerated Development

Basic telemedicine isn’t exactly new. (Think of telephone consultations, which doctors have been offering for decades.) But the COVID pandemic has not only brought the practice to the forefront -- it’s also accelerated the development of sophisticated telehealth platforms.

These tools allow providers to diagnose and treat their patients via secure, high-resolution video, and also enable:

• Sharing of medical images and health data,
• Real-time online chats,
• E-prescribing services, and
• Medical device integration. ​

Telemedicine can be used to connect providers to patients, as well as connecting providers to other providers. It can also connect a single patient to more than one provider. (For instance, when seeking a second opinion.)

Which Conditions Can Be Treated?

Certain medical conditions have always been more conducive to telemedical practices. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the following types of healthcare providers used telemedicine the most often to interact with their patients:

• Radiologists—39.5 percent
• Psychiatrists—27.8 percent
• Cardiologists—24.1 percent

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Since COVID, many more providers are recognizing its potential. Patients can be treated for minor acute conditions (such as rashes, allergies, back pain and pink eye) as well as chronic conditions, such as mental health, congestive heart failure, or diabetes.

​Primary care and post-operative follow-up visits also lend themselves well to telemedicine, as long as no medical procedure is required. Of course, for all situations, telemedicine should be used to enhance — not replace — traditional healthcare protocols. 

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The following video illustrates how Johns Hopkins Medicine routinely utilizes this technology:

Benefits to Providers

Telemedicine offers unprecedented convenience to patients. As a result, some providers have found that their no-show and cancellation rates are lower with telemedicine than with in-person visits, which is helping them stay on schedule. Because virtual visits take less time, providers are able to increase their efficiency and treat more patients.

An added benefit is that telemedicine allows physicians to reach out to their patients regularly to ensure they’re properly managing their condition. When providers can easily meet with their patients, they experience increased job satisfaction.
Generally speaking, telehealth not only expands care access to underserved populations, it also can reduce healthcare costs by about 20 percent.

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Getting Paid

In many cases, telemedicine visits are paid directly by patients. But private payers are also increasingly paying for these services. In fact, some states require it.

Colorado is among the more than 30 states that have passed telemedicine parity laws. These laws require health insurance plans to cover healthcare services delivered via telemedicine in the same manner that the plan covers those services delivered in person. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have also stated that they will continue to pay for virtual visits for covered individuals at the same rate as in-person visits during the COVID pandemic.

To make collection even easier, several real-time telemedicine platforms include a billing component, which allows providers to collect payments and file claims within the telehealth system. Ideally, this platform should be integrated with the provider’s electronic health record (EHR). But even if it is not, the documentation for virtual visits typically must meet the same criteria as in-person visits, in order to qualify for payment.

Potential Drawbacks and Limitations

Of course, telemedicine does not allow providers to recreate the hands-on element of a standard office visit. This can make diagnosis more difficult. And patients cannot undergo procedures or imaging tests remotely.

Extremely ill patients or those who require urgent medical attention must be seen in person. In addition, some providers are worried that technical problems, such as poor broadband connections, could lead to serious problems. For instance, if a patient follows the wrong treatment regimen because of a disconnected virtual consultation.

In addition, patients who are older and/or not tech-savvy may need to be walked through a virtual visit. This can frustrate some doctors, who have neither the time nor the staff to deal with IT issues before beginning a virtual consultation. 

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​Healthcare’s Future?

But despite its current limitations, telemedicine is often the best alternative when patients are unable or unwilling to schedule an office visit.
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It can help providers consult with and treat patients who are miles away. It can offer better access to better care. And it may very well be the future of the healthcare industry.

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Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, Licence Granted
Health
American Medical Association
Cureatr
Colorado General Assembly
Becker's Hospital Review