A Decade of Telemedicine Policy Has Advanced in Just 2 Weeks

“Now that there’s a time for broad implementation, our colleagues are looking to us for help and troubleshooting advice,” said Kovarik, who is a member of the AAD COVID-19 response task force.

Various specialties “lend themselves to telehealth, depending on how image- or data-dependent they are,” Lee told Medscape Medical News. “But all specialists thinking of limiting or shutting down their practices are thinking about how they can provide continuity of care without exposing patients or staff to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.”

After-COVID Goals

In his first week of virtual patient consults, Desai said he saw about 75 patients, which is still far fewer than the 160 to 180 he sees in person in a normal week.

“The problem is that patients don’t really want to do telehealth. You’d think it would be a good option,” he said, “but patients hesitate because they don’t really know how to use their device.” Some have instead rescheduled in-person appointments for months down the line.

Although telehealth has enabled Desai to readily assess patients with acne, hair loss, psoriasis, rashes, warts, and eczema, he’s concerned that necessary procedures, such as biopsies and dermoscopies, could be dangerously delayed. It’s also hard to assess the texture and thickness of certain skin lesions in photos or videos, he said.

“I’m trying to stay optimistic that this will get better and we’re able to move back to taking care of patients the way we need to,” he said.

Like Desai, other dermatologists who’ve implemented telemedicine during the pandemic have largely been swayed by the relaxed CMS regulations. “It’s made all the difference,” Kovarik said. “It has brought down the anxiety level and decreased questions about platforms and concentrated them on how to code the visits.”

And although it’s difficult to envision post-COVID medical practice in the thick of the pandemic, dermatologists expect the current strides in telemedicine will stick.

“I’m hoping that telehealth use isn’t dialed back all the way to baseline” after the pandemic eases, Kovarik told Medscape Medical News. “The cat’s out of the bag, and now that it is, hopefully it won’t be put back in.”

“If there’s a silver lining to this,” Kroshinsky said, “I hope it’s that we’ll be able to innovate around healthcare in a fashion we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”