Can telehealth help flatten the curve of COVID-19?

Telehealth, the virtual care platforms that allow health care professionals and patients to meet by phone or video chat, seems tailor-made for this moment in time. Also known as telemedicine or digital health, it’s often touted as a convenience for patients who are busy or far away, or when travel isn’t feasible due to severe weather or an urgent condition like a stroke. The current crisis makes virtual care solutions like telehealth an indispensable tool as COVID-19 spreads across US communities. As director of the Center for TeleHealth at Massachusetts General Hospital and vice president of virtual care for Partners Healthcare, I believe it can help flatten the curve of infections and help us to deploy medical staff and lifesaving equipment wisely. How can telehealth help during the COVID-19 outbreak? While it’s likely many people will become infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, most will not get seriously ill. Those at greatest risk are over 60, or have underlying health conditions or a compromised immune system. The number one job for all of us is to avoid becoming a carrier and distributor of the virus. By using virtual care for much regular, necessary medical care, and deferring elective procedures or annual checkups, we free up medical staff and equipment needed for those who become seriously ill from COVID-19. Additionally, by not congregating in small spaces like waiting rooms, we thwart the ability of the virus to hop from one person to another....
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Health care Infectious diseases Managing your health care Men's Health Women's Health Source Type: blogs