CPM Spring 2020 - 28

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Features

Physicians Embracing the Opportunity
As the coronavirus spreads, physicians
have been quickly gaining the skills and the
equipment to provide telemedicine visits.
They use basically the same equipment that
patients use - a smartphone or tablet with
the app, or a computer with video and
sound capabilities.

Changing the Future of Health Care
As mentioned before, telemedicine is
not new. Health systems have been using
telemedicine for years. Most people today
are familiar with Skype, FaceTime or
Facebook Live at home, or teleconference
at work, and telemedicine is simply an
extension of this medium.

But an important component is learning
webside manner. Webside manner is the
ability of providers to communicate with
and relate to a patient through this new
medium. Just like bedside manner, this is a
learned skill that has to be understood and
practiced for the best patient experience.

But the coronavirus is rapidly expanding
the use of these services, and people's ideas
of what medicine can become. It's likely
that public health will look different after
this crisis.

Banking, ride sharing, the news media,
and travel have all been transformed by the
Across the nation, more doctors have internet. Amazon, for example, has changed
started providing telemedicine appoint- the retail industry to such an extent that we
ments. At UPMC Pinnacle, for example, no longer think of it as being e-commerce.
more than 1,600 providers and their staff It is simply shopping.
members went through telemedicine
It's likely after this crisis that telemedicine
training at the end of March, and more will no longer be anything unusual. It will
providers continue to come onboard.
just be medicine.

Complete your re-licensure
requirements!
Suspected Child Abuse & Neglect
and Opioid Education with DCMS
September 12, 2020 8:30am
Keep an eye on your email for more information and registration!

28 Spring 2020 Central PA Medicine
http://www.dauphincms.org
CPM Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CPM Spring 2020
