Telehealth | Penn Today

Advancing telemedicine beyond COVID-19 is the beginning of a revolution in dementia care

In an op-ed, Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine writes that Congress’ potential extension of Medicare telemedicine could launch a revolution in “telehealth care.”

Person sitting at a laptop on a table taking notes having a telehealth appointment.

Racial gap in doctor visits disappeared in 2020 as telemedicine adopted

Penn Medicine study finds the rate of completed primary care visits for Black patients rose to the same level of non-Black patients, as COVID-19 necessitated the wider adoption of telemedicine.

A patient having a telemedicine appointment with a doctor via a desktop computer screen.

Racial disparity in follow-up appointments disappears with telemedicine

An inequity in the rate of Black patients making it to their primary care appointment after a hospitalization was eliminated after telemedicine became widely used amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telemedicine is here to stay, but how it will be covered by insurance is still being debated

Rolando Vega, a graduate student at the School of Nursing, wrote an opinion piece about the future of telemedicine. If signed by the governor, a Pennsylvania State Sensate Bill would mandate full insurance reimbursement for these services going forward. “This bill is essential and there is a sense of urgency as many patients, as well as health care providers are counting on its final approval,” Vega wrote.

Elderly African American person waves to a doctor via telemedicine on their smartphone.

Older adults’ access to primary care during the pandemic

Older patients who accessed primary care via telemedicine had lower hospitalization rates, but racial disparities in outcomes of in-person primary care persist, with Black older adults more likely to be hospitalized after a telemedicine visit.

Telehealth shouldn’t mean ‘video health’ for opioid treatment

Utsha Khatri of the Perelman School of Medicine co-wrote an op-ed about rules adopted during the pandemic that allowed clinicians to prescribe drugs to treat opioid use disorder over the phone, without video. Khatri and her co-author propose extending these policies permanently.

Person with a laptop on their lap talking with a doctor via telemedicine portal.

Older, nonwhite patients access telemedicine significantly less among patients overall

A new study out of Penn Medicine finds minorities, older populations, non-English speakers, and those with lower incomes face inequities in accessing telemedicine care.

Anthony Fauci and Penn Medicine physicians on cancer care during pandemic

A virtual conference on cancer and COVID-19 discussed how medical professionals adapt to a rapidly changing environment and enforce protocols to deliver care safely, while individuals are choosing to skip cancer screenings or delay treatments.

Person sitting cross-legged on a couch holding a tea cup looking at a laptop

Counselors find new ways to treat patients under quarantine

Like many areas of medicine, COVID-19 has uprooted the routine of mental health treatment. Telehealth is filling in the gaps—and may be a preview of what standard care looks like in the future.

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