As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, telehealth can serve as a driving force in "flattening the curve," or the rate of infections while also helping keep healthcare resources available to treat acutely ill patients, according to Steve Davis, PhD.
Dr. Davis, an associate professor in Morgantown-based West Virginia University's health policy department, told WVU Today that the main advantage of telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic "is that it can serve as a vehicle for achieving self-quarantine to mitigate viral spread while still enabling the treatment of health conditions."
In the COVID-19 pandemic, 5,702 American cases have been reported, along with 94 deaths. Globally, 195,935 cases and 7,866 deaths have been reported, as of 2:45 p.m., CDT, March 17.
In addition to telehealth, strategies such as social distancing and proper hand washing can help "flatten the curve," so public health services including hospitals and health systems are not overwhelmed by a large influx of sick patients, Dr. Davis said.
"Additionally, telehealth can be used to treat high-risk individuals from a distance to reduce their potential exposure to healthcare workers or other patients that may be infected," Dr. Davis said.
On March 17, the Trump administration announced that CMS will begin temporarily paying clinicians to provide telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries across the U.S. Several states have also issued orders to insurers requiring telehealth costs to be waived during the pandemic.