Virtual Primary Care—Is Its Expansion Due to COVID-19 All Upside?

Abstract

Virtual primary care has long been promoted as the future of health care in the US. 1 Proposed benefits include improved access for rural populations, more convenient care, and reduced overhead expenses. Despite this promise, progress until recently had been slow, in part because of limited reimbursement, restrictions on where telehealth could be delivered, interstate care prohibitions, discomfort with technology, privacy concerns, and limited public enthusiasm.The US response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept many of these barriers away. 2 Medicare and private insurers now cover virtual visits, even without video. Patient costs have plummeted. Aetna, for instance, has eliminated co-payment for telemedicine visits. Platforms that are noncompliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, such as Skype and Zoom, can now be used. Medicare has relaxed its rules about interstate care provision and service

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Workers at the Frontline: A Survey of Canadian Social Workers

“…The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required social workers to quickly transform practice to adhere to public health guidelines—such as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), adhering to physical distancing requirements and closure of non-essential in-person workplaces—whilst still maintaining connections with their clients ( Alex et al , 2020 ; Krelle et al , 2020 ; Donnelly et al , 2021 ). Prior to the pandemic, the use of synchronous virtual care—which refers to both telephone and video appointments—was minimal for many health and social service settings ( Berzin et al , 2015 ; Glauser, 2020 ).…”

“…Until recent, the integration of virtual technologies in practice has remained limited ( Berzin et al , 2015 ). The pandemic has accelerated the use of virtual care in Canada, USA and elsewhere in the world ( Glauser, 2020 ; Krelle et al , 2020 ). Social workers have had to quickly integrate virtual care in practice to maintain continuity of client care despite having little training and access to technologies specifically developed for social work practice.…”

A case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in a patient with obstructive sleep apnea managed with telemedicine

“…Prior to the pandemic, the concept of healthcare delivery via telemedicine was largely ignored. 26 The pandemic necessitated widespread adoption and utilisation of telemedicine. Recent findings estimate that older adults are more likely to be accepting of video visits compared with 2 years ago.…”

Virtual primary care in high-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: Policy responses and lessons for the future

“…For example, NHS England declared in 2019 that all patients should have the right to video consultations by 2021 and that all primary care practices should ensure at least 25% of their appointments are available for online booking [ 6 ]. However, despite similar statements observed worldwide, adoption remained slow, in part due to a general hesitance with novel technologies, privacy concerns, limited stakeholder enthusiasm, and inadequate investment [ 7 , 8 ].…”