Telehealth — a way for patients to receive virtual health care remotely — has been an emerging resource since the 20th century and now proves a necessity for high-risk individuals. At this time, the U.S. is confronted with the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic and should be utilizing any means necessary to flatten the curve. The time is now to make swift decisions and implement social distancing to curb potential repercussions — averting farther influxes of COVID-19 cases.
At-Risk Populations
Research reveals that COVID-19 primarily affects senior citizens, populations suffering from various respiratory and heart diseases, those who are immunocompromised and anyone with severe underlying medical conditions. Telehealth services have been propitious prior to COVID-19. And following the pandemic, this type of healthcare has endurance and promise in the long term.
Who is Telemedicine Currently Serving?
One prevailing demographic that has turned to telemedicine, a part of telehealth, are veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides “transformative virtual health technologies” for all veterans, whether locally, regionally, or nationally. Though telehealth involves all aspects of virtual health care, telemedicine distinctly deals with the practice of medicine through telehealth. Both of these services have helped to optimize veterans’ healthcare benefits.
Telemedicine During COVID-19
The purpose of telehealth is to allow for “real time, interactive video visits [and] in-home and mobile health remote monitoring devices that gather and store health data.” These services, heavily supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, do not replace doctors or healthcare facilities, but offer simple and streamlined access to immediate medical assistance. This is a crucial resource beyond veterans, as efforts to flatten the curve demand social distancing to preserve public health and safety.
For high-risk individuals who rely on routine medical checkups or are unable to receive healthcare because of COVID-19 restrictions, telehealth becomes an invaluable alternative. Consequently, telemedicine is gaining popularity.
Presently, the pandemic is saturating hospitals, leaving nonpriority patients waiting or neglected in order to serve the pressing extremities at the forefront of this health crisis. Limitations on travel and state commissions to practice isolation greatly stress the relevance of telehealth.
Cancer Patients
In particular, cancer patients may take advantage of telemedicine. A story from last April dives into expanding telemedicine for oncology. Cancer survivorship is expected to progress between 2016 and 2026, growing to more than 20 million. However, studies show that cancer rates are increasing for aging populations, with a 40 percent cancer care demand to match this growth.
Numbers are only rising for cancer rates and COVID-19 cases, indicating telemedicine is a viable solution for patients facing a deficiency in health care services. Among the cancer patients affected by COVID-19, mesothelioma patients have many at-risk traits and should be heightened to COVID-19 awareness and prevention precautions.
Telemedicine Solutions
Mesothelioma, a cancer with protracted latency, is specific to the older demographic. Those affected by this type of cancer are considered at-risk due to several factors. Mesothelioma typically targets the lung region, leaving patients highly susceptible to the respiratory virus COVID-19. This cancer also has an extensive influence on veterans, who are already employing telehealth services and make up 30 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Telemedicine optimizes patient healthcare by granting them accessibility. According to a 2019 report from Massachusetts General Hospital, 79 percent of patients who participated in a telehealth study program found that virtual appointments were more convenient than traditional office visits, enabling healthcare services as practical and accommodating for everyone.
The more telehealth is normalized, the more it is established as sufficient enough to replace in-person appointments — either prompted by COVID-19 circumstances or for patients searching for more convenient healthcare.
Current Strategies
Harvard Health suggests that the preference and emergency for telehealth will contribute to flattening the curve. Not only does it align with social distancing standards but it helps “free up medical staff and equipment.”
In an attempt to encourage patients to remain home, health care providers like San Francisco’s One Medical is meeting this demand. One Medical recognized an opportunity, taking into account the demand for growth during COVID-19, setting themselves apart as a dynamic company.
The Trump administration is participating as well. In mid-March, the administration announced an expansion in “telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries,” mitigating “HIPAA enforcement.” Although temporary, Medicare covers an expansive selection of telehealth services, paying for both doctors and nurses. Along with this, telehealth will be accessible for office and hospital appointments and with many providers, practitioners, and even clinical psychologists and social workers.
Lasting Effects
These changes demonstrate that despite telehealth rising as a result of COVID-19, it’s a realistic contender for future expectations of health care. Initially, telehealth was offered to strictly rural Medicare enrollees at medical facilities, excluding home services. Today, telehealth is booming.
COVID-19 is changing the world. Not only is it a historical event (one whose resolution is still pending), but one that has forced an examination of the health care system. Relying on telehealth and understanding illness as a social and economic unifier with vast reverberations signifies an evolving dependency on modern healthcare.
Colin Ruggiero is a health advocate writer for Mesothelioma.com. He dedicates his time to informing others about mesothelioma cancer and any preventative measures to avoid asbestos exposure.
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