Department of Urology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Department of Urology, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois.
Fertil Steril. 2020 Dec;114(6):1135-1139. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.10.050.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telemedicine internationally. The reproductive clinics that thrived in this tumultuous time had access to fully electronic medical records with user-friendly telehealth platforms and remote support staff for physicians. However, complete transition from in-person visits to telehealth uncovered many opportunities for innovation. At-home semen testing is not yet widely recognized, and patients still require an in-person visit for ultrasounds, procedures, and physical examinations. Although emergency policies and waivers have made it easier for providers to legally practice across state borders and receive payments from insurance companies, they vary from state to state and have not been cemented into law. Finally, clinical training for medical students, residents, and fellows has been affected by decreased clinical and surgical volume. However, trainees have also proven to be the most adaptable, quickly shifting to remote learning practices through social media, online surgical atlases, and wide distribution of "virtual visiting professor" lectures. As countries have eased physical distancing guidelines, patients ultimately benefit from having the option of a telehealth appointment. Although there is still much work to be done to improve telehealth, the COVID-19 pandemic has at least proven that it is a safe method of patient care and teaching.
新冠疫情加速了全球远程医疗的采用。在这个动荡时期蓬勃发展的生殖诊所拥有用户友好的远程医疗平台和远程支持医生的完全电子化病历。然而，从面对面就诊完全过渡到远程医疗也为创新提供了许多机会。家庭精液检测尚未得到广泛认可，患者仍需要进行面对面的超声检查、手术和体检。尽管紧急政策和豁免使提供者更容易在州际间合法行医并从保险公司获得付款，但这些政策因州而异，尚未成为法律。最后，医学生、住院医师和研究员的临床培训受到临床和手术量减少的影响。然而，受训者也被证明是最具适应性的，他们通过社交媒体、在线外科图谱和广泛传播“虚拟客座教授”讲座，迅速转向远程学习实践。随着各国放宽身体距离指南，患者最终受益于远程医疗预约的选择。尽管还有很多工作要做才能完善远程医疗，但新冠疫情至少证明了它是一种安全的患者护理和教学方法。
