Telehealth got a huge boost from COVID-19. Now what?

Health tech offers major benefits, but policymakers must make it accessible. Whether it’s the cost of devices, sluggish internet speeds, insurance program restrictions or a lack of coverage in rural areas and schools, there can be many hindrances to using telehealth services. “It's really hard if you don't have broadband, or a way to do video to have the kind of virtual care that you might have in a different part of the country,” said former chair of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld. He appreciates that the authorities and insurance companies decided to cover audio-only interactions, since many people don’t have access to the infrastructure required for video visits. But there is more to be done. “Making sure that we expand and improve broadband service is a piece of the policy puzzle,” he added. 

Accessibility is a major issue that can cause healthcare disparities to be exacerbated by telehealth. “We know about the racial inequity that exists in healthcare and COVID has shined a light on that,“ Dr. Ehrenfeld said. “We don't want access to telemedicine to make the problem even worse." Telehealth could make it easier to see a doctor and alleviate burdens on the system overall, but without the right policies we risk alienating people who don’t have access to technology. The hype over telemedicine is not unwarranted, but “we do need to have a solid plan for how we best support these services going forward,” Dr. Ehrenfeld said. “The time to plan for that future is now.”