Telemedicine, or Telehealth, is the practice of communicating with a patient remotely using technology such as messaging and phone calls. The practice of Telehealth has changed significantly over the past few years, driven by the pandemic and technological advances. After 2020, new devices and software were introduced for health providers to use for video calls, conference calls, instant messaging, and wearable technology (Shaver, 2022).
To cover the costs of these services, patients may use Medicaid or Medicare Part B, which offers some Telehealth services (National Institute on Aging, 2020). Also, many private insurance companies cover Telehealth (National Institute on Aging, 2020). Nonetheless, coverage is inconsistent across the country, and the limitations are significant – the patient may not know how many calls they may receive without incurring additional charges.
The central ethical concern of telemedicine is the absence of real interaction between the healthcare provider and the patient. Clinicians must review patient data and rely on the quality of the video and audio to monitor patient health. Thus, the question arises whether such care yields positive outcomes for patients if they do not come to the office to talk to the provider. The ethical issue lies in the relationships between clinicians and patients, as trust is vital for people to adhere to medication use (Shaver, 2022). Telehealth requires licensure similar to other healthcare-related tasks, typically limited to a single state (Health Resources & Services Administration, 2024).
Thus, the accreditation requirement is to possess a practicing license in the state of operation. A psychosocial factor that may affect the quality of Telehealth is the level of technological knowledge. For instance, older adults may not know how to use a webcam to speak with their provider (National Institute on Aging, 2020). Access to devices and information about them may be limited in some communities, and providers must share the knowledge and resources to ensure that everyone can use these services.
References
Health Resources & Services Administration. (2024). Getting started with licensure.
National Institute of Aging. (2020). Telehealth: What is it, how to prepare, is it covered?
Shaver, J. (2022). The state of Telehealth before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 49(4), 517-530.