ICYMI: “Telehealth Is Here To Stay, As It Continues To Offer Benefits To Patients And Clinicians Alike.”
Telemedicine Provider Shares How Virtual Care Has Benefitted Patients and Providers
In case you missed it, Brian Carpenter, MD, the chief medical officer for telemedicine for Sound Physicians recently penned an article for Provider Care News highlighting the benefits of telehealth for improving patient care.
The article details the ways that telehealth programs help to deliver improved care. By allowing patients to stay in one place to receive treatment through technology that connects virtual care doctors to the patient from the comfort of their room, rather than having to readmit patients, more patients are able to heal and relax in the same environment. The article also highlights how telehealth services like online medical records and notes can alleviate some of the work that providers must do, including at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). “With the workload already facing SNF teams, no one has time for a long, drawn-out ramp-up,” says Dr. Carpenter. “We make it easy to engage with our telemedicine team whether a patient is in the care of a veteran nurse who’s been with the SNF for years or someone brand new.”
The result of these telehealth interventions is fewer transfers and reduced short and long-term hospital stays for patients. Virtual care programs result in positive outcomes for patients and reduce the workload for providers, allowing for better team morale.
Dr. Carpenter concludes the article by saying, “Telehealth is here to stay, as it continues to offer benefits to patients and clinicians alike. With sicker and frailer people to treat, telemedicine helps close care gaps at SNFs and ensures that patients get what they need, when they need it most.”
We urge Congress to listen to the stories of the millions of patients and providers who have been positively impacted by telehealth and ensure permanent virtual care protections.
Read the full article HERE, and learn more about how Congress can act to permanently protect telehealth access HERE.
ABOUT TELEHEALTH ACCESS FOR AMERICA
Telehealth Access for America (TAFA) is a public education campaign supported by leaders in health care committed to better care, expanded patient choice, and protecting access to critical telehealth services. Learn more and take action today at www.telehealthaccessforamerica.org.