Physicians Support Making Pandemic-Era Telehealth Policies Permanent, Survey Shows
By Emma Freer

A vast majority of physicians currently use telehealth and would like to see the pandemic-era policies that enabled its rapid expansion stick around so they can continue to do so.

These are some of the findings from the American Medical Association’s national 2021 Telehealth Survey Report, which draws on responses from 2,232 physicians collected in late 2021. 

“This survey shows adoption of the technology is widespread as is the demand for continued access,” AMA President Gerald Harmon, MD, said in a March 23 press release. “It is critical that Congress takes action and makes permanent telehealth access for Medicare patients.”

Overall, 85% of physician respondents currently use telehealth, and more than 80% report patients have better access to care as a result of telehealth. Other reported benefits include increased professional satisfaction (54.2%) and decreased care costs (44%).

Nearly 60% of respondents feel telehealth allows them to provide more comprehensive, high-quality care by:

  • Providing a glimpse inside patients’ homes;
  • Expanding access to care among patients with disabilities that impact their mobility; and
  • Reducing appointment wait times.

The most common platforms used to deliver telehealth services are audio-only telephone visits and Zoom. Almost half of respondents say they can access a telehealth platform directly from their electronic health record.

Respondents also identified some of the barriers to telehealth access:

  • On the physician side: the rollback of COVID-19 waivers, coverage, and payment policies; lack of insurance coverage for telehealth services; and low or no payment.
  • On the patient side: the need for improved digital literacy and a lack of access to technology and broadband internet.

Congress recently extended telehealth policies adopted during the pandemic until five months after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. The federal emergency declaration is slated to expire in mid-April but will likely be extended for a ninth time through mid-July. The Biden administration has said it will give states 60 days’ notice before the emergency ends; that deadline passed in mid-February.

AMA and the Texas Medical Association continue to urge Congress to make permanent:

  • Access to telehealth services,
  • Use of audio-only telehealth options,
  • The ability for patients to receive telehealth services anywhere, including at home, and
  • Payment parity – among both public and private payers.

During the 2021 state legislative session, the House of Medicine secured two significant victories relating to telemedicine despite falling short of achieving payment parity. House Bill 4 by Rep. Four Price (R-Amarillo) made permanent the pandemic-induced allowances for expanded telemedicine payment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, if the state determines those services are clinically sound and cost-effective.

House Bill 5 by Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) created a state broadband development office to in turn create a program to award financial incentives, including grants and loans, for broadband expansion.

Last Updated On

April 06, 2022

Originally Published On

April 06, 2022

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Emma Freer

Associate Editor

(512) 370-1383
 

Emma Freer is a reporter for Texas Medicine. She previously worked in local news, covering city politics, economic development, and public health. A native Clevelander, she graduated from Columbia Journalism School and the University of St. Andrews.

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