You might say telemedicine was made for this moment.

Long a form of medicine that was relegated to the sidelines, Telemedicine is about to get into the game in ways that will permanently change health care delivery, experts say.

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a surge in demand for telemedicine, experts say, as patients stay at home under shelter-in-place orders and consult with doctors and nurses remotely.

And many of these changes will remain, even when the pandemic ends, said Dr. Steve Ommen, associate dean of the Mayo Clinic Center for Connected Care, who talked with the PB about the new world of medicine being created.

PB: How is telemedicine helping during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ommen: Traditional telemedicine is helping a lot, because we're using video, phone and monitoring devices so people can get their care in their homes. They don't have to go out into the public or into facilities where other potential infected patients are.

We're also using some of our tools in new ways. Even in the hospitals, for patients who are super high risk for being COVID positive, we're using telemedicine activities so the care team can take care of the patient without a whole bunch of people going into the same room.

PB: Are you seeing a surge in demand for telemedicine during this time of social distancing? Are you staffing up for it?

Ommen: Both. We're seeing a big uptick in demand. The clinic got rid of all unnecessary face-to-face visits so only if you had urgent health care needs (could see a doctor face-to-face). Now we're in the process of converting those practices into virtual practice.

Now (we're cross-training) support staff and individuals who are used to a more traditional in-person (patient setting). They're learning about the skills you need to do it virtually. So the workforce capacities have definitely ramped up.

PB: Do you think the pandemic will transform telemedicine?

Ommen: I think the landscape of medicine will change as a result of this. There's two reasons why that is going to happen. One is that the government removed a bunch of the barriers to the implementation of telemedicine, one, by removing some of the state-by-state licensure requirements and, two, by improving financial coverage for telemedicine patients.

Those might roll back to some degree after the pandemic is over, but I think the value of it will be such that it won't roll back to what it was in 2019.

The other thing that will drive that change will be the fact that the doctors, nurses, care teams will recognize the value of it, and patients will recognize the convenience of getting care when it is appropriate remotely.

PB: What were the biggest regulatory barriers to telemedicine?

Ommen: Prior to this, the physician always needed to be licensed in the state where the patient was during the time of interaction. Just think where we are. We have some patients who live in Wisconsin who get their care from doctors in Rochester. And now, they're being told to shelter-in-place in Wisconsin. Previously, their doctors couldn't have done this.

But with the federal and state governments both relaxing that requirement, they are making sure their patients have access to care.

PB: So you are convinced we're in a paradigm shift in health care?

Ommen: When you are the customer and in health care the customer is the patient they are the ones who are going to say, 'Why can''t I get my care remotely? It worked so well back in April and May.' We're going to see this momentum continue following the pandemic.

Excerpt from:

Mayo expert: 'The landscape of medicine will change as a result of the pandemic' - PostBulletin.com