Telemedicine viewed as win-win during pandemic

HOT SPRINGS — Telemedicine and telehealth are tools that many health care facilities are using to provide patients care when they prefer to socially distance during the current pandemic.

The two terms tend to be used interchangeably, but telemedicine typically refers to remote clinical services and telehealth refers to remote nonclinical services. Both involve a patient communicating via telephone or video with the provider.

National Park Medical Center Communications Director Mandy Golleher said the increased use of teleservices does not mean that facilities are unsafe.

If patients are not comfortable getting out and about, telehealth is a way for them to get care while still practicing social distancing, she said.

Kelly Keys, National Park Medical Center executive market director of physician services, said teleservices are a unique opportunity for patients to receive the best care possible when that care is not available directly with physicians.

Also, “many times, the virtual visit can become like a triage tool that helps us to direct the patient in a particular course of action like they need to come into the office, they need to come into an urgent care center, they should go to an emergency room, or they need some extra testing from a radiology or lab standpoint,” Keys said.

“Telemedicine has actually been around since the 1960s, with the monitoring of astronauts, so this has kind of been one of those opportunities that presented itself due to the pandemic as an opportunity for a health care professional to visit with their patient in order to ensure their continuing care is able to be provided,” Keys said.

Keys thinks teleservices will be good for patients post-pandemic, as well, particularly for busy, working people who have difficulty getting time off to go to the doctor.

“So I see this as really a win-win for the patient and the practice, as well. If we could continue this and see this roll out past the pandemic, I think this would be a great opportunity for our community.”

Keys noted that teleservices will not be right for every patient or situation.

“But there are certainly opportunities to provide the service in a way that’s meaningful, especially in the situation we’re experiencing now with the pandemic,” she said.