The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a boon for telemedicine, according to the American Medical Association’s Physician Practice Benchmark Survey. The poll found that more than 70% of physicians worked in practices offering telehealth visits in September 2020 compared with 14.3% in September 2018.
Respondents said they used virtual visits to treat patients with a wide variety of needs, with psychiatrists, dermatologists and urologists being the biggest users of the technology. The physicians said they primarily used telehealth to diagnose conditions, treat patients and manage chronic illnesses.
“Research conducted over the past year illustrated telehealth’s role in allowing patients to retain access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the use of telehealth and the expanded rules around coverage and payment for it allowed physician practices to keep their revenue streams positive rather than at or near zero and to remain open to serve their patients,” the AMA report said.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and private payers removed barriers for telehealth use during the COVID-19 public health emergency. CMS has proposed extending telehealth flexibility in its proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule.
