Many counseling centers had to quickly transition to telehealth this past year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some found it easier to adjust to this change, but most of them learned invaluable lessons in delivering virtual care.
Policy changes facilitating access to virtual care should remain permanent
Telehealth regulations have been relaxed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, triggering interest and support for virtual care owing to its benefits like convenience and safety.
Another less spoken advantage of telemedicine is the availability of specialists for patients especially suffering from chronic diseases like cancer.
COVID-19 has expanded telemedicine measures needed since years
The US federal government decided to lift restrictions on telemedicine services for seniors under Medicare. This move should have happened years ago since it would have protected countless high-risk citizens from getting exposed to COVID-19. The damage ahead can be mitigated by quickly designing new telehealth and telemedicine options.
Telehealth visits are booming amidst the coronavirus crisis
Analysts at Forrester Research say that the adoption of telemedicine has shifted to hyper drive over the past month since virtual healthcare interactions have caught pace to top 1 billion by year’s end. This represents a massive expansion from telemedicine usage before the COVID-19 pandemic.
FCC approves $200 million telehealth program to combat the COVID-19 challenge
Chairman of Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai announced plans for telehealth funding. This proposal sets aside $200 million to assist healthcare providers purchase technology and broadband connectivity for telehealth services.