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Last year’s stay-at-home mandates, plus a need to limit the spread of COVID-19, caused many health care facilities to cancel in-person visits and procedures. The result? Telehealth visits — seeing a health care professional by phone or video conference rather than going into their office — increased by leaps and bounds.
The Public Policy Institute of California reports that a group of community clinics in California conducted less than 1% of its visits via telehealth in February 2020, but that number jumped to about half of all visits within a few months. By August of this year, in a study by the Bipartisan Policy Center, 80% of respondents said they would likely use telemedicine for some future visit.
Our collective venture into this alternative way of “visiting” a doctor or other care provider has proven to be not only safe and efficient but a flexible approach that expands access to care for all Californians. Many insurers have expanded coverage for telehealth during the pandemic.
According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, “With a robust telehealth infrastructure in place, patients may receive more timely diagnoses and treatment recommendations, more appropriate follow-up care, and a reduced likelihood of experiencing an adverse event as a result of delayed assessment and treatment.”
Telehealth can be used by patients of all ages, in all geographic areas, for a range of health care needs, including:
- General advice and follow-up visits
- Consultations with specialists
- Virtual check-ins to monitor chronic diseases
- Medication management
- Behavioral health visits
- Discussing test results, including COVID-19 tests
Telehealth has long been a key tool in expanding access to care in rural and underserved communities because it offers more timely care for those who might otherwise have to wait weeks for an appointment and travel long distances. Using a phone or other mobile device allows patients in remote areas or with limited transportation to connect in real time with their care providers and overcome many of those barriers.
Across the board, whether in a rural town, an urban neighborhood, or a suburban enclave, Americans seem to have discovered the ease and benefits of telehealth. In May of this year, the American Medical Association surveyed nearly 2,000 patients and found:
- 79% were very satisfied with the care received during their last telehealth visit.
- 81% said the provider was thorough.
- 84% were confident their personal information was secure and private during the visit.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger — and even when it’s all behind us — telehealth has shown it’s a reliable tool for staying healthy and connected to your health care professionals. To help you and your loved ones prepare for your next appointment, we’ve come up with a list of things to consider before and during the visit.
Download our telehealth checklist!
