well as consider both the clinical and technical aspects of telehealth,
including software and hardware expenditures, HIPAA-secured
documentation transfer, IT support services and any advanced
technology (which is surely to come along as is typical of the digital
age). The elderly and those in low socioeconomic conditions need
access and familiarity to the required technology. Organizations
need to implement community-based educational campaigns.
COVID-19, as a pandemic in the digital age, has revealed both
the benefits of remote medicine as well as the potential issues with
the technology that supports it. While the extent of its use in “normal
times” is not currently known, telehealth is likely to continue
to play a role and will again be necessary if and when social distancing
becomes important again. As we utilize telehealth less in
TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE
our return to seeing patients in-person, let’s take action to improve
upon these issues.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” -Benjamin
Franklin
Resources
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions permitted the use
of telehealth applications without HIPAA securities, changed accepted coding
practices, and allowed telephonic visits when traditional virtual visits were not
possible to assist the clinician during the COVID-19 crisis. (https://www.cms.
gov/files/document/covid-19-physicians-and-practitioners.pdf)
Dr. Higgins is a practicing otolaryngologist with subspecialty training in rhinology.
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