Long before the coronavirus pandemic, some patients were visiting their doctors through technological advances and hookups. Social distancing is putting that method on steroids thanks to a ton of federal government rule changes, among them, allowing doctors to use non-HIPPA-approved platforms.
“These days, because of the waivers, we’re allowed to use alternative methods of communication, such as FaceTime, Zoom,” said Dr. Sean Li, regional medical director for Premier Pain Centers.
Li said he rarely did virtual visits because of government regulations. The recent loosening of restrictions, combined with the use of common social and business media platforms, make it easy to do telemedicine.
“I get to spend a lot more time with them because of the less constraints of waiting for someone in the waiting room. But there are some limitations. Obviously I can’t reach through the screen and touch them. But through this process we’ve been learning how to deal with that. I’ve had patients stand up, show me how they walk, point to me where their pain is. I’ve even taught patients how to do certain exams,” he said.
Li says he’s treating chronic pain in an opioid epidemic amid a viral pandemic. He’s still paying attention to patients’ body language and guarding against potential abuse by putting patients in three risk categories: low, medium and high.
“High risk patients, that’s one of the reasons why I’m still in my office. If I see the need, we’ll still bring them in the office, follow all the CDC guidelines in terms of screening and protecting my staff and the patient. But being able to do a urine drug screen, making sure they’re taking their medicines appropriately,” he said.
Telemedicine does have has other limitations, like when patients need X-rays or stitches. In other urgent, or even emergent cases, providers say telemedicine works. American Family Care in Paramus says coronavirus cases account for 70% of its virtual visits.
“I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s very effective. It’s easy and simple for patients to have access to health care. It’s very comfortable for patients,” said American Family Care physician assistant Monica Sirotovitz.
The new form of modern medicine offers a big assist and is allowing providers to monitor homebound patients’ vitals.
Li says he’s collecting data on his virtual visits because he wants regulators to know the benefits and to permanently permit telemedicine long after the end of the pandemic.
“I’m hoping that I can incorporate this into my practice,” he said.
