The coronavirus may end up being the big nudge in favor of telemedicine that helps establish it permanently as a mainstream medical offering.
For years, telehealth providers have been trying to convince skeptical consumers that sitting in a waiting room and sterile doctor's office is not a necessary requirement of medical care. And now that consumers are finally seeing the value of communicating with a health care provider virtually, telehealth providers, much like the rest of the health care system right now, just can't keep up with demand.
"This week, patient visit volume spiked 50 percent over the prior week and continues to rise," said Teladoc, a publicly traded provider of telemedicine services in a March 13 press release.
Public health officials and providers are encouraging those with symptoms to resort to telehealth whenever possible as a way to prevent further spread of the virus and to keep hospitals and clinics from being overwhelmed. However, some telehealth providers report that their IT systems have been overwhelmed by the surge in demand.
Three doctors at the Cleveland Clinic tell CNBC that the virtual service they rely on has been experiencing slowdowns and leading to long waits for patients.
Roy Schoenberg, president of American Well, the company that runs the Clinic's telehealth service, tells CNBC that demand on the system has quadrupled since Friday, which he conceded had led to some technical issues.
"Certain geographies where the public impact of the virus is highest have seen wait times skyrocket from 5 to 10 minutes to 60 to 70 minutes," says Schoenberg.
Medical providers and insurers have been steadily increasing telemedicine offerings in recent years as a way to cut costs and provide more convenient service. And in response to the outbreak, at least five states have mandated that insurers waive the costs associated with telemedicine visits.
Unfortunately, those who would benefit most from remote medical care, including older patients with mobility challenges or residents of rural areas, may be the ones most likely to struggle with online care due to lack of internet access or a lack of familiarity with technology.
The coronavirus may end up being the big nudge in favor of telemedicine that helps establish it permanently as a mainstream medical offering. In the meantime, however, telemedicine providers may face many of the same challenges as conventional providers in dealing with a historic pandemic.
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