The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 disease pandemic, has resulted in governments taking drastic measures aimed at slowing its spread and reducing patient mortality. One key technology being utilized to fight the disease is virtual medicine, or telemedicine, which has become more prevalent in recent decades for a number of reasons. The most pertinent reason is that these networks can help prevent transmission of the virus between asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic patients, and health care providers or other patients at health care centers.
The persistent lack of test kits that continues to plague many countries makes it difficult to pinpoint who has the virus, and to differentiate COVID-19symptoms from those of other conditions such as the common cold, flu or seasonal allergies. Virtual medicine can help triage patients, targeting those with evidence of more severe respiratory infections, and remotely coordinate eventual in-person care, allowing for proper isolation procedures to be followed.
“We are seeing more patients and more of those patients are experiencing upper respiratory issues,” said Lew Levy, MD, chief medical officer, Teladoc Health. “As we saw during the flu epidemic of 2018, a community’s healthcare system can become overwhelmed and virtual care can help provide needed relief. We have the unique ability to immediately connect with the CDC and other government agencies, to add the right screening tools and clinical quality protocols to our system, and most importantly, to keep patients—particularly those most at risk with underlying health conditions—out of care settings where they can face exposure.”
Teledoc is a multinational virtual medicine company based in the U.S., and one of many similar companies that have emerged in recent decades advertising an affordable and convenient alternative to traditional in-person practices. These virtual medical systems have become vital during natural disasters and disease outbreaks. Now with a global pandemic underway, Teledoc experienced a spike in patient daily visit volume by 50 percent during the second week of March. On March 11 the company reported 15,000 visit requests for the day and about 100,000 appointments for the week.
“The traditional health care system simply does not have the capacity to address a worst-case scenario when it comes to the coronavirus,” said Mark Smith, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the University of California at San Francisco and member of the Teladoc Health board of directors. “The good news is that we have never been better able to address this challenge because of companies like Teladoc Health that bring high-quality, affordable virtual care to every individual who needs care while reducing community exposure.”
Part of the $8 billion in emergency funding passed by the U.S. Congress will go toward expanding the reach of telehealth coverage to help stem the pandemic. Over the weekend the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced that telemedicine will be used broadly going forward, and hard-hit countries like Italy are relying heavily on it. Virtual care services also help administer cognitive-behavioral treatments to people experiencing mental health conditions brought on by self-isolation. Even prior to the funding, affordability has been a key draw of the technology. Amwell, another virtual medicine company, offers appointments 24/7, 365 days per year for $69, and at lower rates for insured patients.
With a looming flood of infected patients expected to overwhelm hospitals throughout the U.S. given the lack of intensive care beds and ventilators, some hospitals are implementing their own virtual medical infrastructure. These measures could help health care workers avoid unnecessary exposure from less acute patients who can be treated at home.