April 27, 2024

Not What You Think – Researchers Bust Common Telemedicine Myths

That it will lower access to look after the most vulnerable patients who may be unable to gain access to digital services.
That repaying service providers for telemedicine services at the same rate as standard services will motivate telemedicine overuse.
Telemedicine is not a reliable way to offer care.

Fear and her co-authors took a look at three particular telemedicine-related issues using information that was partly created by the COVID pandemic, which triggered healthcare service providers all around the country to rapidly broaden their telemedicine services:.

“Not just did our most susceptible clients not get left behind– they were amongst those engaging the most with, and benefit the most from, telemedicine services. This is excellent care, and it is equitable care for vulnerable populations.”.
The paper, according to senior author and chief digital health officer of URMC Michael Hasselberg, Ph.D., REGISTERED NURSE, is the very first to supply comprehensive data eliminating the three myths that have prevented the extensive usage of telemedicine. URMC researchers remained in an unique position to perform the research study due to the work of more than 3,000 telemedicine companies throughout the health system and the UR Health Labs capability to evaluate the data produced by their work.
The researchers compared data from July to December 2020, a duration of relative normalcy after the pandemics first rise, to pre-pandemic information from July to December of 2019, utilizing information from January to June 2021 as a follow-up period. Their analysis incorporated a review of patient demographics, outcomes, provider usage, gos to finished, and more.
” For our suppliers, a major concern about telemedicine has always been, What might I miss out on if I cant sit in the space with the patient?” Worry stated. “But we merely didnt discover any increase in negative outcomes. This doesnt suggest telemedicine will replace in-person care, but its clear that it can assist individuals access care more consistently and easily which it provides an extremely efficient complement to traditional care.”.
The 2nd NEJM Catalyst research study looked at a program URMC doctors developed to bring psychotherapeutic and psychiatric resources to retirement home patients through a combination of telehealth, on-site check outs, and staff education. The researchers concluded that the program enhanced access to care and minimized the number of homeowners requiring anti-psychotic medication.
” With a small team that we assembled here at URMC, weve been able to have a substantial reach, extending care to patients in parts of the state where top quality mental health services are limited at best,” said Adam Simning, M.D., Ph.D., assistant teacher of Psychiatry and the studys lead author. “At a time when nursing homes across the country are badly understaffed, and the need for psychological health services amongst their locals is increasing, weve efficiently revamped the method mental health services are supplied to the more than 50 retirement home we work with.”.
Hasselberg, who was also a senior author on the retirement home research study, thinks both documents will resonate in the medical community, encouraging policymakers and payors to broaden and continue pandemic-era policies that make the development of telemedicine services possible.
” Hopefully, what weve discovered here will help the remainder of the nation and assistance shape the future of health care as telemedicine ends up being significantly popular,” said Hasselberg.
Referrals: “Busting Three Myths About the Impact of Telemedicine Parity” byKathleen Fear, Ph.D., Carly Hochreiter and Michael J. Hasselberg, Ph.D., REGISTERED NURSE, PMHNP-BC, 21 September 2022, NEJM Catalyst.DOI: 10.1056/ CAT.22.0086.
” Scaling Supply to Meet Behavioral Health Demand in New York State Nursing Homes” byAdam C. Simning, MD, Ph.D., Zhi-Yang Tsun, MD, Ph.D., Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH, Elizabeth J. Santos, MD, MPH, Lara Press-Ellingham, MPA, OT and Michael J. Hasselberg, Ph.D., REGISTERED NURSE, PMHNP-BC, 21 September 2022, NEJM Catalyst.DOI: 10.1056/ CAT.22.0196.

” We truly dug into the data, and it negated all 3 issues, which is actually rather exciting,” Fear stated. “Not only did our most vulnerable clients not get left behind– they were amongst those engaging the most with, and benefit the most from, telemedicine services. We did not see even worse results or increased expenses, or patients requiring an increased amount of in-person follow-up. This is great care, and it is fair care for susceptible populations.”.
This doesnt imply telemedicine will change in-person care, however its clear that it can assist individuals access care more regularly and easily and that it provides an extremely efficient enhance to traditional care.”.

Telemedicine, often called telehealth or e-medicine, is the remote shipment of health care services via electronic info and telecommunication technologies. This permits doctor to take a look at, identify, and treat patients without having to see them personally.
A new study shows that telemedicine works and does not lower access to care..
A first-of-its-kind study showing telemedicines exceptional efficiency comes to the conclusion that common telemedicine concerns dont hold up to analysis.
The study is one of two telemedicine research studies recently published in NEJM Catalyst by researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). The second research study shows the success of URMCs effort to offer psychological health services to assisted living home by means of a hybrid model that consists of telemedicine.
” For clients, the message is comforting and clear: Telemedicine is a reliable and effective method of getting many sort of healthcare,” stated Kathleen Fear, Ph.D., lead author of the first paper, “Busting Myths about the Impact of Telemedicine Parity,” and director of information & & analytics at the UR Health Lab. “Especially for those with transportation challenges, it is a service that actually fills a gap– and, extremely, it does not compromise the quality of the care that clients get.”.