ICYMI: Telehealth Is Supporting Access to Quality Care and Helping Address Critical Challenges For Skilled Nursing Facilities

Feb 3, 2023

Physician Highlights Telemedicine as “Silver Lining” of the Pandemic

In case you missed it, this week, Provider Magazine highlighted telehealth’s benefits for patient care in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) in a piece by Brian Carpenter, MD, SFHM, Chief Medical Officer of Telemedicine for Sound Physicians. In the article, Carpenter shares how telemedicine is supporting access to quality care in SNFs in the aftermath of the pandemic. “If the pandemic had a silver lining, it was telemedicine,” says Carpenter.

Carpenter goes on to discuss how hospitals have transferred more patients into SNFs to alleviate overcrowding burdens and protect vulnerable patients from increased health risks. He continues by highlighting how telemedicine has been a solution to help mitigate the impact of staffing challenges and patient care demands. 

“When deployed correctly, telemedicine is the most effective and affordable way to place a physician at the bedside 24 hours a day. Video-enabled virtual care provides the means to assess, manage, and treat changes in condition, in partnership with an attending nurse. It’s especially effective for nights and weekends,” says Carpenter. 

Telehealth has made transferring critical patients easier, he says, and has increased access to physician services and improved efficiency for SNFs. Telehealth also shortens wait times and eases facility transfers and same-day physician services. 

The time is now for Congress to safeguard telehealth, to the benefit of patients and providers, with permanent solutions.

Read the full article HERE. 

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.