Key takeaways:

• What is telemedicine? It’s the delivery of healthcare services virtually – i.e., over the phone, through video conferencing or via remote vital monitoring
• Benefits of telehealth: Lower costs, access from anywhere and a lower risk of spreading illnesses
• Downsides of telehealth: Potential for diminished safety and quality of care, Medicare restrictions and cross-state care
• How has telemedicine grown? At the beginning of the pandemic, virtual visits shot up from under 1% of visits to 80% of visits compared to 2019, and 84% of doctors now offer virtual visits

Doctors can offer many services, like check-ups, virtually now. Since the pandemic, more people are working remotely than ever before and retailers have been forced to offer online services to stay afloat. Students now learn remotely and people connect with loved ones virtually.

Healthcare is no exception to this trend, with most hospitals, clinics and offices around the country now offering some kind of virtual component to care, known as telemedicine. Patients who don’t need an in-person exam can thus stay safe and save time and money by staying home to receive healthcare services.

Here is a deeper look at how telemedicine works, its pros and cons and what the state of telehealth looks like today.

Telemedicine, or telehealth, is the delivery of healthcare services virtually, whether over the phone, through video conferencing or via remote vital monitoring. Patients consult with their healthcare providers without an in-person visit via telehealth, which was particularly crucial amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related gathering restrictions and risks.

People can tune in to their appointments from the comfort of their homes, or wherever they happen to be at the moment, using their phones, laptops, tablets or PCs. Doctors typically require a video call for telehealth visits so they can talk to patients face-to-face and provide live care. However, sometimes phone calls will suffice or even text messages. Some “visits” consist of a  simple transfer of files.

Virtual medicine has also made it possible for doctors and care providers to check in on patients remotely. It allows them to keep tabs on their vitals, healing progress and any issues that may come up at home.

Examples of services patients can get via telemedicine include:

• Results of tests or imaging
• Discussions about prescriptions
• Follow-up after a surgery or procedure
• Tracking ongoing health issues
• Discussions about current sicknesses, like COVID, colds or nausea
• Mental health services, like counseling

Patients can use telehealth sessions for visits that don’t require an in-person physical examination. It is also important to note that providers’ preferences and recommendations for telemedicine may vary from organization to organization.

Telemedicine has brought lots of benefits to patients, especially during the time of COVID. Here are a few of the biggest pros:

• Reduced risk of spreading illness
• Patients can get care from anywhere
• Improved patient satisfaction
• Better access to specialists around the country
• Providers have more visibility into patient health at home
• Reduced wait times for an appointment
• Lower healthcare costs
• Less travel is required to see a provider

Telehealth as an option gives patients a lot more flexibility in where and how they receive care. However, there are still some downsides to the new format.

Some doctors warn that increased reliance on telemedicine could impact patients’ safety and quality of care. Certain safeguards and regulations are in place for a reason, so there are some risks of deregulation required for telehealth. The right balance needs to be implemented so that nothing is overlooked in the care plan and patients can still experience the benefits of telehealth.

Other downsides of telehealth include:

• Medicare doesn’t pay for all telemedicine services
• Patients without access to the internet may not receive the same level of care
• Some healthcare organizations might not have the technical capability or resources to offer telehealth to patients
• Privacy and security risks posed by telemedicine are still being addressed
• Some providers can’t deliver services across states, which becomes more challenging to track in a virtual setting

Even though telemedicine isn’t exactly new, its prominence in U.S. healthcare and the incorporation of video conferencing mean that regulations and best practices will need to continue to be updated for a better overall system.

While many providers were able to offer remote services before 2020, including counseling services, follow-up appointments, diagnoses and more, the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed how care is delivered now and into the future. One early study during the pandemic found that from March to April of 2020, the use of telehealth shot up from less than 1% of visits to up to 80% of visits in certain parts of the country. The CDC found that in the last week of March 2020 alone, there was a 154% increase in telehealth visits compared to the same period in 2019.

Another report found that 84% of doctors now offer virtual care sessions and 57% say they would like to continue offering the virtual component. The telemedicine market, which was $6.61 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $25.88 billion by 2027, growing at an annual rate of 15.8%.

Telehealth solutions clearly aren’t going anywhere soon. Technology will continue to improve the way remote care is delivered.

It isn’t always easy to field questions about care options and insurance coverage that workers are bound to have during such a transitional period in healthcare. You need the right HR partner who can help you set up better benefits communication and management systems.

StaffLink Outsourcing can be that partner. We are a national Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that works alongside your team to deliver better Human Resources solutions for payroll, benefits, risk management and more.

Request a proposal or contact us at (954) 423-8262 for more information.