Guest Author
Patients who live in rural areas.
Patients who live in underserved areas.
Patients who are young, elderly, or lack transportation.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the circumstances that make it difficult, if not impossible, for too many Floridians to access primary and family care. They wind up with debilitating, costly health issues and they often use the last resort to access care: the emergency room.
However, the effective use of new technologies can increase Florida patients’ access to care, while also easing the pressure on a vulnerable, ever-expanding health insurance market and a growing shortage of primary care and family physicians. Physicians can use these technologies to help close the access gap without sacrificing the quality of care they provide.
That is why the Florida Medical Association supports expanding the use of telemedicine.
But it’s not as simple as plugging in an iPad and allowing health-care providers to work over the Internet. We must establish uniform standards to protect the safety and privacy of patients, every digital step of the way.
Our plan includes four basic steps:
First, we must properly define telemedicine. It could be defined as the diagnosis, consultation, monitoring, or transferring of encrypted medical data via telecommunications services. A definition can and perhaps should include certain types of health-care delivery methods and procedures as well. Most important, we must ensure that every patient is not only protected, but is truly engaged in a physician-patient relationship with that patient’s consent. Florida must also comply with federal privacy laws, so any telemedicine legislation must take that into account.
Second, we must make sure that those physicians who may practice telemedicine are properly licensed in Florida or hold a Florida telemedicine certificate to ensure that they can be held accountable by the Board of Medicine. Every state’s laws are different and every physician must not only be familiar with our state’s law, but must meet the standards of care that are specific to Florida.
Third, each physician must be trained how to properly use telemedicine technologies. Diagnosing and treating patients via telecommunications technology is far different than simply placing a call or using Skype.
It involves the encrypted transfer of private health data and the use of sophisticated technologies. That is why it is important to set continuing education standards for physicians who seek to practice telemedicine. Patients must be confident that telemedicine is safe.
Fourth, it is critical that physicians who invest their time and resources in these technologies are not punished by reimbursement systems that could actually discourage participation. Physicians will spend as much time and expertise consulting via telemedicine as they would through a face-to-face visit. The physician shouldn’t be financially penalized for serving more patients outside of the traditional office setting.
Florida faces critical health-care challenges in the decades ahead. Analysts predict a shortage in primary-care physicians as well as all types of nurses. As such, we must avoid quick-fix (and potentially dangerous) solutions. We must seek comprehensive ways to expand access without jeopardizing quality of care.
If we can take each of the four steps outlined, Florida will be a leader in a dynamic industry while also alleviating a serious public policy concern. While nothing will ever replace an in-person visit or hands-on care, we know that telemedicine can supplement the traditional doctor-patient relationship. Telemedicine can provide much-needed access to care for Florida’s most vulnerable patients.
