During COVID-19, many patients have lost access to their healthcare providers, or are avoiding in-person visits to mitigate their risk of infection. Telemedicine allows patients to access care from their doctors without seeing them in person. This care can take the form of a phone call, video call, or even just a text message. Some doctors work full-time as virtual healthcare providers, whilst others provide their telemedicine services on-call using an Uber-like system.

Telemedicine is especially helpful for high-risk patients or patients from rural communities for whom a doctor’s visit may be inconvenient, or even unsafe. Further, people with busy working schedules can access 24/7 telemedicine services. Telemedicine does not only benefit outpatient care.

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen will discuss the current and future role of telemedicine in healthcare, and the struggles it poses for physicians and patients. So, join in with Dr. DeRouen to better understand this technology.