“ COVID-19 has pushed health care into a new model of care . Gone are just the traditional office appointments and labs every few months . What is coming will be a more interactive relationship between patients and their health care team .”
There is also still a common misconception that a patient cannot receive the same quality of care from a telemedicine visit as an in-person visit . However , Tiffany Auvil , LPN , clinical nurse manager and telemedicine coordinator for Davis Health System , says quality care can still be achieved through telehealth as long as the patient and physician have access to the necessary equipment .
“ The most common misconception is that you don ’ t get the same treatment as you would face to face , but with proper cameras and microphones , a solid assessment can still be completed ,” she says . “ With other technology , such as home blood pressure and pulse ox tests , information can even be viewed and analyzed by providers prior to the appointment with the patient .”
Charleston Area Medical Center ( CAMC ) has provided telemedicine services for the last few years and launched a 24 / 7 Care program to offer patients round-the-clock medical care by phone or computer . A survey analysis of CAMC ’ s telehealth services found that more than 95 % of telemedicine users said their visits were about the same or more useful than a faceto-face encounter with their provider . Additionally , close to 70 % of those users said they would recommend 24 / 7 Care to a friend . Other health systems throughout the state also report positive feedback from patients able to access telehealth services .
“ It ’ s not just during the pandemic when this telehealth is useful but also other circumstances , such as when there ’ s a snowstorm outside ,” says Shakuri-Rad . “ We can change an office appointment to telehealth so the patient doesn ’ t put themselves at risk by driving in bad weather , or there may be transportation issues for patients who are reliant on the bus system or family members to bring them into the office . By simply being able to connect to them through these technologies , we can really streamline and make it easier , more convenient and safer for patients .”
Addressing the Benefits and Challenges
Telemedicine offers the benefit of keeping patients from gathering in waiting rooms and physicians ’ offices , which can limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep patients from coming in contact with the virus . While this reason alone might have sparked the statewide attention on telehealth , the biggest advantages of the service is that patients can access this care directly from home — a critical aspect for those who live in rural areas and were previously traveling hours to access health care or weren ’ t receiving care at all due to this burden .
“ Telehealth takes the time and distance out of health care , creating access to populations that have historically struggled to access needed health care . Telemedicine allows this population to
Photo by CAMC .
have another entry point into health care ,” says Rebecca Harless , associate administrator of the ambulatory division at CAMC .
Despite the many benefits telehealth offers West Virginians , there are also systemic barriers to accessing the services , the most significant of those being the state ’ s lack of broadband and cellular access in certain rural areas , which has also been experienced across other industries in the state such as education .
“ The technology is there , but the broadband connection is essentially the limiting factor , and as we continue to expand these services in rural West Virginia and other places , I think it ’ s going to become less intimidating for both physicians and patients ,” says Shakuri-Rad . “ Other than that , I think it ’ s a great tool — another tool in our toolbox that we can use .”
West Virginians who aren ’ t tech savvy will also have to learn how to use their mobile devices prior to engaging in the telehealth services . Additionally , some families will have to bear the cost of obtaining these mobile devices , as well as at-home testing kits if not covered by an insurance provider .
Tackling Payment Parity
Prior to the pandemic , most insurances were not fully covering telehealth services because they weren ’ t considered equal to a face-to-face visit . Medicare would not pay for in-home virtual services or clinic-to-clinic telemedicine at all if the patient was not considered to be outside a health care shortage area . However , with the challenges brought on by the pandemic , insurance companies made adjustments in 2020 to reimburse telehealth services the same as in-person visits , making telemedicine more affordable , but the future of this reimbursement is unknown and will likely be part of a larger conversation on health care access in upcoming legislative and congressional sessions .
“ There wasn ’ t a widespread acceptance of telemedicine before , especially in West Virginia because our broadband hasn ’ t always been the greatest , but the pandemic has made us all think about things a little bit differently and forced us to try it ,” says McCallister . “ I have called COVID-19 an unfortunate opportunity for telemedicine .”
Looking to the Future
Other than continuing reimbursement for telehealth services and resolving the state ’ s broadband challenges , David Campbell , executive director for health care innovation at Cabell Huntington Hospital , says educating the public on how to use these services effectively needs to continue and that telehealth training should be included in health care providers ’ education programs .
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