PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Telemedicine continues to become an important part of health care.
The service made slow strides before the pandemic; most people wanted to avoid replacing a visit to the doctor with a Teams call or FaceTime.
At the pandemic’s peak, the need for social distancing made everything — except acute care — next to impossible. Hospitals and emergency departments were filled with COVID-positive patients. Telemedicine became a go-to tool, and today it remains a key part of health care.
Telehealth visits can be interspersed with in-person care, and it is an invaluable tool for those who are in areas with few physicians. Out of necessity, this helpful tool has gained a foothold.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.