Within a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed many practices almost in a snap, and that includes health consultations.
While the shift was triggered by the stay-at-home orders and fears of contracting the virus, some people, including Hawaii residents, now prefer talking to their doctors over the phone or via video chat, instead of the traditional brick-and-mortar visits.
“This pandemic has changed how we deliver health care, and it’s going to change it permanently,” Christopher Russell, medical director at the West Hawaii Community Health Center on the Big Island, told Honolulu Civil Beat. “Patients love the convenience of it, and it increases our access. Our no-show rate has gone down tremendously.”
Imagine a worker simply taking a break to attend to his telehealth appointment, compared to the need to be absent from work to visit a doctor, or hours of travel from a patient's home for a follow-up visit versus a hassle-free video call with the physician.
Older adults also showed interest in having virtual doctor's appointments, according to a survey. The West Hawaii Community Health Center, which conducted the poll, found out that four out of 10 behavioral health appointments were virtual in 2020. Other data also shows that approximately 80% of health care was virtual during the height of the pandemic at Kaiser Permanente, according to Honolulu Civil Beat.
In a post-pandemic world, it seems that telehealth has become essential.