How the old-fashioned telephone could become a new way for some to see their doctor
Staying home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and their doctors have embraced telemedicine. Prior to COVID-19, telehealth use was growing but represented a tiny percentage of all health care visits.
During the peak of the first wave of infections, many telehealth centers saw a dramatic increase in care – for example, the University of Michigan had a 2,500% increase in telehealth encounters. In fact, according to internal data at the University of Michigan, telehealth visits accounted for more than 75% of all visits during April and May. Another fact that surprised us: Nearly half of those visits were conducted by telephone alone rather with audio and video communication, as is conventionally required by insurance.
One of us, Dr. Li, is an emergency physician and health...