Telemedicine use up during COVID-19 pandemic

More than four times as many physicians are using telemedicine to care for patients now than before the pandemic, according to a survey.

About 66% of 1,594 U.S. physicians across all 50 states and various specialties have practiced telemedicine, up from 16% who reported using the technology before the pandemic, said the National Lifeline Association, citing data from mobile virtual network operator TruConnect.

“The telemedicine industry has made leaps and bounds during this time, mostly due to awareness to the U.S. population and also due to doctors needing to find a way to continue to care for their patients when those patients don’t want to go into a medical office,” said Wayne Orchard, executive vice president of MyTelemedicine. “With more education and the expanse of telemedicine services, the future of virtual care will now be at the top of how doctors treat patients rather than simply a tool used infrequently.”

Mr. Orchard said his telehealth company has seen a 30% increase in calls during the fall and winter this year compared with last year. In March, when the COVID-19 pandemic took off, the call volume for MyTelemedicine jumped by 120% one day.

A different study published by the Harvard Business Review this month found that providers switched one-third or more of their in-person care to telephone and video encounters. The survey of 154 medical practices from January through August found that telemedicine visits peaked at an estimated 37% of all encounters in early May, fell to 22% in early July and then leveled out around 15% in mid-August, still far higher than the less than 1% baseline before the pandemic.

Doctor on Demand, another telemedicine company, said it has experienced a great uptick in new patient registrations and medical visits since the pandemic began. Therapy visits have more than tripled since last year, and visits for chronic conditions have doubled since February.

Meanwhile, new patient registrations climbed significantly when the pandemic was declared and increased 82% during the week of March 18, said Dr. Kristin Dean, the company’s associate medical director.

Dr. Dean noted that regulation changes during the COVID-19 pandemic have expanded access to medical care via telemedicine and the recent development of services such as teledentistry and telepodiatry.

As COVID-19 testing has become more readily available, Dr. Dean said, it has allowed telemedicine to play a vital role in diagnosing the illness.

Doctors often connect with patients via video or phone to evaluate symptoms that could be from COVID-19 or individuals who have been exposed, thus decreasing chance for spread and exposure of the illness. Physicians can recommend at-home testing services or direct patients to local testing sites and return results virtually.

Telemedicine is booming as more people avoid doctors’ offices because of worries about COVID-19. The NaLA survey found that 41% of U.S. adults have delayed or avoided seeking medical care, and preventive screenings for cancers have dropped by as much as 94% compared with previous three years. Children’s immunizations have dropped by as much as 50% for measles, mumps, rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases, survey results show.

Outside of COVID-19 testing and care, physicians are using telemedicine to provide primary care, behavioral health, urgent care, and chronic condition management and prevention.

Doctor on Demand says its physicians can use video visits to treat 90% of the most common conditions seen in urgent care facilities. Common problems that physicians can treat include cold and flu, sinus infections, skin conditions, urinary tract infections, allergies, and mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression.

Technology has evolved dramatically, allowing physicians to remotely use cameras to do ear, nose and throat exams, look at skin lesions and listen to heart and lung sounds, said Dr. S. John Korangy, founder and CEO of telemedicine company CareClix.

But telemedicine still has its limitations. When an in-person visit is required, telemedicine companies can collaborate with brick-and-mortar facilities to offer hands-on care.