Kareo recently undertook a survey that revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on independent medical practices and their patients. The interview was conducted between 600 medical practices and 140 medical billing companies by Kareo in the month of March.
The Outcomes from the Interview
The research discovered the instant arrangements that medical practices and health care providers are taking to make sure patients access health care through the telemedicine platform. About 75% reported to use the telemedicine option or to deploy one soon. Furthermore, it was also stressed the risk to both patients and independent medical practice from the closures of medical practices due to stay at home orders in order to flatten the curve.
Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Healthcare Professionals
The coronavirus pandemic is having an undesirable effect on independent health care professionals with only 28% of the practice offering telemedicine solutions and 9% already been closed down. There is risk in the future of more closure of medical practices. The practices are delivering on-site care and looking into options to expand care remotely through telemedicine platform and hybrid solutions. The ongoing analysis done by Kareo across 50,000 medical providers revealed that patient volume considerably reduced reflecting the patient’s limited access to care due to the operational sustainability of medical practice setups.
Turning to Telemedicine Solutions
To comply with a stay at home order and to reduce the spread of the pandemic health care providers are turning to provide care through the telemedicine platform rapidly. The ease of regulatory requirements with telemedicine security and functionality has allowed medical practices to access telemedicine solutions broadly.
Kareo Telemedicine
With an increased demand in using telemedicine solutions, the Kareo telemedicine platform offers HIPAA Compliance and provides seamless integration with EHR, billing and patient engagement.
Conclusion
The research conducted by Kareo suggests that even health care providers and clinicians are not exempt from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A telemedicine solution is critical in this crisis situation to make sure independent practices are reachable and made available to patients who are unable to leave their homes due to social distancing and isolation.
Resources:
Kareo Survey Reveals Coronavirus Pandemic Impact on Independent Medical Practices and Their Patients. (2020). Retrieved 17 April 2020, from https://www.kareo.com/newsroom/press/kareo-survey-reveals-coronavirus-pandemic-impact-independent-medical-practices
COVID-19. (2020). Retrieved 17 April 2020, from https://www.kareo.com/covid-19
