Social distancing and telehealth: The impact of the coronavirus

The insurance response has been developing in recent years to support a wide range of health and tech providers operating in the telehealth space. (Photo: Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz/Shutterstock)

Health care providers’ and patients’ level of comfort with telehealth services as a supplement to more traditional forms of health care has been increasing for several years in the United States. Three months into the global coronavirus crisis and there are substantial signs that the role of telehealth in the urgent response to the pandemic could accelerate take-up and mainstream acceptance of such services in the U.S. over the long term.

In response to the virus, major changes to how health care is delivered are being encouraged and even mandated by providers, payors and regulators. Patients themselves are choosing to access health care advice and support remotely in greater numbers than ever before. Many commentators are suggesting that the coronavirus could prove to be the tipping point for telehealth in the U.S. and that during and beyond the current crisis, it will become a much more integral feature of the U.S. health care system. However, in the immediate term, the coronavirus and the potential surge of patients will generate risk placing considerable strain on the human and technological resources underpinning telehealth.