As pandemic spreads, use of telehealth by clinicians and health systems surges

“Providence has been setting up providers to conduct video visits with patients at home over the past several years, primarily specialists seeing patients in rural areas. With COVID-19 and the need for social isolation, the system added the option of video visits for more than 7,000 providers within its system on March 24. On March 2, the system recorded two video visits. The daily average for the week of April 5-10 was 4,023. The system also saw the number of visits done by phone climb from zero on March 1 to a daily average of 5,638 the week of April 5-10.”

Dr. Gregg VandeKieft, palliative care specialist, began seeing clients through televisits for the first time in recent weeks and recounts his experience with the Catholic Health Association.