Open AccessTelemedicine and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Directions for the Future
Author(s) -
Noah Saad,
Husain T. AlQattan,
Oscar Ochoa,
Minas Chrysopoulo
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plastic and reconstructive surgery/psef cd journals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.841
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1076-5751
pISSN - 0032-1052
DOI - 10.1097/prs.0000000000007344
Subject(s) - telemedicine , medicine , videoconferencing , pandemic , medicaid , covid-19 , medical emergency , health care , telehealth , population , nursing , disease , multimedia , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , economics , economic growth , environmental health , computer science
Telemedicine holds vast amounts of potential in changing the way outpatient plastic and reconstructive surgery is practiced. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, video conferencing was used by a small fraction of medical specialties. However, since the start of the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the largest private health insurance companies have relaxed regulations to allow the majority of specialties to use video conferencing in lieu of in-person visits. Most importantly, video conferencing minimizes patient and physician exposure in situations such as these, and decreases risk in the immunocompromised population. Video conferencing, which has been shown to be just as safe and efficacious in treating patients, offers the ability to follow up with physicians while saving travel time and travel-related expenses. This in turn correlates with increased patient satisfaction. Video conferencing also allows physicians to expand their reach to patients in rural areas seeking advanced professional advice. Incorporating video conferencing into existing practices will make for a more efficient practice, improve patient satisfaction, and decrease cost to patients and the health care system.