Lifecycle Health has seen interest for its telehealth offering surge well over 10x in the past 2 weeks due to the corona virus pandemic. In the view of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing is being used as a preventive measure. Demand for telehealth has skyrocketed since it is safer to get access to healthcare in the confines of your home without getting exposed to coronavirus.
President Donald Trump said that telehealth is a fairly new and incredible thing that’s happened in the not-so-distant past. He made this statement when the federal government waived rules that restricted telehealth services provided across the states a couple of weeks ago.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has temporarily relaxed restrictions on various audio-visual technologies. But, providers are asking for additional clarity on state licensing provisions for clinicians and technical limits around tools like virtual chats.
Countries around the world are adopting the new “social distancing” protocol. So, hospitals are working to reduce in-person contact to slow down new infections and conserve resources for critically ill patients.
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in telehealth adoption as doctors in the U.S. virtually connect with patients. Telehealth companies are doing their best to meet the demands of the wider healthcare system leading to a rise in the usage of healthcare apps.
Telemedicine is a critical strategy adopted during the COVID-19 emergency since it can limit the risk of person-to- person transmission of the virus, prevent emergency rooms from being over-crowded, reduce barriers to screening and allow people with moderate symptoms to get treated from their home itself.
Initially, telehealth was used as a cost controlling and convenient system. But, now staying at home and getting access to healthcare through videos, SMS and phone calls keeps you safe and away from hospitals and patients who need critical care.
Andy Guffey, founder of Lifecycle Health said "Obviously, COVID-19 hasn’t given healthcare a chance to delay change in the telehealth direction. It’s here and healthcare has to adapt, very quickly. Small practices and large practices alike are in desperate need for a telehealth communication solution, but also realize they need a solution for the long term as this will not be a 2-month temporary event. When they think longer-term, they realize that they need more than a single vertical solution like video-only, or messaging-only - they need an integrated suite of communication tools like Lifecycle.”
