Changes in Telemedicine and Insurance Reveal Positive Benefits for Allergists and Patients
Allergists managing their patients’ health and well-being get a helping hand with telemedicine.
Health challenges due to COVID-19 have ushered in many changes relating to health insurance and the use of telemedicine. A recent statement by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) advocates for physicians to incorporate significant and continued use of telemedicine in the care of patients with allergies.
Telemedicine is ideally suited to allergy problems because, like many disorders, diagnosing and treating allergy problems is overwhelmingly based on history. In addition, it is possible to do a relevant physical exam by video.
The goal of telemedicine services is to provide high-quality care using accurate clinical information during a visit. Guidelines have been developed to help allergists know the policies, regulations, and clinical recommendations for offering telemedicine visits.
The benefits of telemedicine in allergy treatment not only improve health outcomes and access to care they also increase access and are, in many situations, more cost-effective.
Telemedicine technologies can improve the connections between patients and their physicians by enabling more timely visits. Telemedicine also allows patients, some of whom are unable or unwilling to travel, to avoid long travel times and related expenses.
Telemedicine has proven to be as effective as in-person visits to an allergist for asthma management among children. The process also helps patients by allowing the allergist to conduct a patient’s first visit before determining if in-office testing is needed.
Telemedicine can also help save time and money by enabling convenient follow-up visits for many allergic conditions as well as scheduled disease monitoring and medication assessment appointments.
Since the onset of COVID-19, there have been changes to telemedicine services. These changes have helped physicians see more patients through telemedicine services and has been welcome news for many physicians and their patients. Although there have been challenges in integrating telemedicine into allergy and immunology practices, its benefits, thus far, have proven to outweigh the adjustment to new systems.
Texas is an example of the potential telemedicine has to treat many more patients for far less cost. Telemedicine laws in Texas have temporarily expanded and the state also has a telehealth parity law, requiring coverage of many services by private insurance companies, state employee health plans, Medicare and Medicaid. Find out more about changes in laws governing telemedicine and telehealth in Texas.
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