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Closeup of doctor holding sign saying help wanted; lacking telemedicine applications. Retro instagram style filter image.

Relieving Labor Shortages through Telemedicine Applications

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Imagine rushing to the Emergency Department, half-blind with mind-numbing pain, and desperate for help. Imagine expecting to be greeted by qualified, well-rested staff—nurses, doctors, therapists, and others—who are ready to take care of you, as much or as little as needed. Now, imagine arriving to find an overflowing ED filled with weary patients who have spent hours waiting for a hospital bed, attended to by overworked care providers who can barely muster a weak smile. They’re trying to reassure you, but all you can see is exhaustion, crowded hallways, and restless, disgruntled patients—a world without effective telemedicine applications.

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Telemedicine Physician Licensing Needs Updates

Can Telemedicine Physician Licensing Be Updated?

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With the explosion of telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic, several regulations have come under close scrutiny for hindering more efficient and effective use of the technology. In particular, telemedicine physician licensing has traditionally been managed at the state level, where both the physician and patient must physically be located during the appointment, but real-time consultations over the internet are not limited by state lines. With today’s technology and consumers’ rapid acceptance of telemedicine, providers and patients virtually anywhere can theoretically meet online for a medical appointment; in reality, they can’t because many states do not recognize medical licenses awarded in a different state. Temporary measures have been created to address this issue, but they do not comprise a long-term solution to the issue of telemedicine physician licensing. Read more

Telemedicine Appointments Aren't Available for All Social Groups

Socioeconomic Barriers to Telemedicine Appointments Remain

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Although the rapid rise of telemedicine has proven invaluable for much of the US population over the last year, this has not held true for everybody. As with traditional health care, social factors are still hindering telemedicine’s reach to some communities. Industry experts are warning that as telemedicine appointments become a permanent part of the “new normal” of health care delivery, proactive measures must be taken to ensure that patients are not continually stymied by social factors in trying to access health care via telemedicine. Read more

Telemedicine Regulations Represented by Stethoscope, Gavel, and Laptop

The Future of Telemedicine Regulations under the Biden Administration

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Twelve months ago, few, if any, could have predicted that the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic would linger on into a new presidential administration. Dissatisfied by the lackluster pandemic relief bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump just before Christmas, which failed to extend the pandemic’s eased stance on telemedicine regulations, industry stakeholders are now looking to President-elect Biden and the 117th Congress to sanction more permanent measures in order to preserve the sudden rise in telemedicine usage during the pandemic. Read more

Street sign points to Road to Success during telemedicine revolution

Top 4 Tips for Navigating the Telemedicine Revolution Smoothly

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At least one good thing is coming from the COVID-19 pandemic. By necessity, 2020 has seen huge gains in telemedicine utilization as providers and patients seek to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. This telemedicine revolution is transforming the provider-patient relationship, both positively and negatively, including the unintended consequences of such rapid adoption of telemedicine. Industry specialists are finding that the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR), with its unplanned side effects, provides a relevant and useful model for smoothing the transition to telemedicine for both patients and doctors. Read more

"Paid in Full" rubber stamp, representing zero cost sharing for telemedicine

Pandemic Freebies Are Ending—It’s Time for Cost Sharing for Telemedicine

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During the anxiety-fraught early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, most major insurers joined the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in waiving co-pays and deductibles for telemedicine visits — cost sharing for telemedicine — in order to encourage people to remain at home, thus reducing possible exposure and transmission of COVID. The public, many of whom were new to telemedicine, readily adopted the technology in favor of convenience and safety, reduced costs, and less travel. Now, however, those halcyon days may be gone. Some major private health insurers have stated that as of Oct. 1, they are no longer paying the full costs for virtual visits that are unrelated to COVID; instead, patients are expected to pay a portion of the costs for the virtual visit, as is the norm for in-person visits. Read more

Gavel for Healthcare

Are Lightened Telemedicine Regulations Here to Stay?

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As we’ve noted previously, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust telemedicine into the spotlight with pro tem lifted telemedicine regulation, allowing both patients and providers to embrace low-contact methods for accessing healthcare. Now, several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, industry stakeholders are examining the currently active telemedicine regulations to determine which changes would encourage medical facilities and providers, ranging from small-practice primary care providers to tertiary care hospitals, to permanently add telemedicine to their routine options for health care delivery. Read more

2020 State of Telemedicine Report cover by Doximity

New Report Deciphers Adoption of Telemedicine Trends

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Since the beginning of the pandemic-driven rise in the adoption of telemedicine, data regarding the attitudes and uses of telemedicine have largely remained scattered. To bring order to the chaos, Doximity, a network for professional medical providers including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, has reviewed recently published studies and conducted their own research. Now ready to present their findings, a comprehensive report was released earlier this month to examine how the rate of telemedicine adoption among healthcare providers and patients has evolved from pre-COVID 19 days. Read more

Coronavirus telemedicine: a man walking toward opened doorway of opportunity

Building a Coronavirus Telemedicine Program? Read This First!

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It’s no surprise that the current COVID-19 pandemic, with its need for social distancing, has spurred renewed interest in alternate health care delivery methods, particularly coronavirus telemedicine. Lawmakers, cognizant of the regulatory and reimbursement obstacles that have plagued the telemedicine industry for years, have acted quickly to ease such restrictions to enable patients to receive medical care without leaving their homes. Now, healthcare providers are suddenly finding themselves either learning how to use telemedicine or expanding existing programs to center more heavily on the telemedicine modality. However, providers who value long-term satisfaction and usability would be wise to pause to consider several factors as they design their coronavirus telemedicine initiatives. Some of the most critical factors are highlighted below. Read more