Telemedicine & COVID-19 with Lisa Hedges

Logan chats with Senior Content Analyst and writer Lisa Hedges from Software Advice on the use of telemedicine to help deal with the pandemic. Many health care workers have had to quickly adapt to new technology that supports telemedicine, which has made it more accessible than ever before, according to Hedges. One major challenge for medical practitioners is how to treat patients with the highly contagious virus while minimizing its spread, she notes. Telemedicine is not a new concept, she points out, but it was not really designed to deal with pandemics, and this has meant enduring and overcoming certain kinks, bugs, and barriers. But with landmark legislative and regulatory revisions, it is now easier than ever for to utilize telemedicine, according to Hedges. Telemedicine providers are offering free trials to engage practitioners not familiar with the technology, she notes. According to a tweet by @doxymeHQ, where 2,000 to 3,000 providers per month were registering, 2400 providers per hour are now registering. It is important, Hedges says, for both the patient and practitioner to know which vendors to use to minimize logistical barriers. Hedges explains in detail the five-step process practitioners can use to assess the effectiveness of telemedicine programs, both in these turbulent times and in the future. This episode is sponsored by Ora, www.oraclinical.com; Bridge Patient Portal, www.bridgepatientportal.com; and Software Advice, www.softwareadvice.com.