WHOEVER said “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” didn’t have a computer in mind. But with more Americans staying away from doctors’ offices because of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the use of telehealth has been surging.

In the early stages of the pandemic, healthcare systems prioritized urgent medical issues and delayed optional care, leading to a 60% drop in outpatient visits in April.

Simultaneously, telemedicine visits surged by as much as 14%, according to data from Harvard University and Phreesia, a healthcare software company.

The move toward doing more health care online has helped squeeze the finances of many physician practices. Research from Health Affairs shows that US primary care offices could lose $15.1 billion in revenue this year due to COVID-19. While telehealth keeps medical practices working, it is generally not as lucrative — reimbursement rates from insurers are typically lower for online appointments.

While the US continues to thrust itself into reopening, in-person visits have begun to rise. Still, business remains slow, and telehealth is still being used more often than it ever was in the past.

But how accessible is telehealth for people who don’t have access to a stable internet connection, computers, or the ability to fix technology snags when they arise? For all its benefits in a pandemic, practicing medicine over the internet has pitfalls. — Bloomberg

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR