2/25/2024 0 Comments Video visits healthcare![]() Challenges in scheduling, concerns over reimbursement and apprehension over patient engagement, top the list of barriers to using video visits. Though 96% of orthopaedists’ believe that video visits can aid in care, only 11% endorse using any virtual care modality ( 10, 11). Nevertheless, there is little utilization of this technology amongst surgical specialists and their patients. Results showed fewer unscheduled visits, fewer phone calls, and better satisfaction in the video call group than in those that only had in-person visits ( 9). ![]() In 2014, a cohort study used a video conferencing system to evaluate 34 patients after total joint arthroplasty in addition to their routine in-person visits and compared their experience to a group of 44 patients who only participated in routine in-person visits. In addition to increased access, studies have demonstrated video visits to be comparable to in-person encounters for the provider’s ability to determine the correct diagnosis and make decisions regarding imaging studies or lab tests ( 6- 8). ![]() Respondents reported that a video visit was more convenient, decreased their travel time, and provided a quick assessment of their concerns. The survey reported time savings of six or more hours, and reduced time off work by three to four hours. Based on post-visit surveys of this pilot program, 93% of patients reported that the video visit was an alternative to an after-hours clinic, and 86% reported that it was an alternative to the emergency room ( 5). In 2015, a group in Rochester, New York, expanded access to primary care through the use of remote video visits. Though these regulatory changes are in response to an unprecedented public health emergency, it is feasible that many will continue after the crisis. Commercial payers have followed suit by offering zero-dollar copays for telehealth visits. With outbreak of COVID 19, changes in federal law have made video visits more accessible for Medicare patients through the removal of requirements that an in-person visit must occur before a virtual encounter and the removal of stipulations that patients must be located in a rural area. Policymakers and payers alike have also created initiatives to increase the use of video visits. Aware of these advantages, companies like Amazon (Seattle, WA, USA) and Walmart (Bentonville, AR, USA) have begun to offer video visits to their employees as an additional benefit ( 3, 4). Remote video visits leverage the power of our telecommunication technologies to provide synchronous care to patients while simultaneously removing many of the barriers to in-person visits. Low-income patients face challenges such as unavailable or unaffordable childcare, difficult public transportation, inconvenient clinic hours, and work insecurity, which often lead to inappropriate use of the emergency departments for care that could otherwise be performed in an office setting ( 2). Nevertheless, this increased density of specialists does not guarantee access for urban residents. ![]() For rural patients, merely finding a specialist is challenging, as of 2010, there were 263 specialists per 100,000 population in urban counties while only 30 specialists per 100,000 in the most rural counties ( 1). Rural patients and those living in low-income parts of the city may face long or taxing (e.g., several busses) travel to get to a specialist.
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