From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Ohio State University; and CATALYST, Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking, College of Medicine, Ohio State University.
J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Feb;34(Suppl):S225-S228. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.S1.200229.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians and health care systems have shifted to providing care via telehealth as much as possible. Although necessary to control spread of the virus and preserve personal protective equipment, this shift highlights existing disparities in access and care. Patients without the skills and tools to access telehealth services may increase their risk of exposure by seeking care in person or may delay care entirely. We know that patients need internet access, devices capable of visual communication, and the skills to use these devices to experience the full benefits of telehealth, yet we also know that disparities are present in each of these areas. Currently, federal programs have given physicians greater flexibility in providing care remotely and have expanded internet access for vulnerable patients to promote telehealth services. However, these changes are temporary and it is uncertain which will remain when the pandemic is over. Family medicine physicians have an important role to play in identifying and addressing these disparities and facilitating more equitable care moving forward.
针对 COVID-19 大流行,许多医生和医疗保健系统尽可能多地通过远程医疗提供护理。虽然这是控制病毒传播和保护个人防护设备所必需的,但这种转变凸显了在获得医疗服务和护理方面的现有差距。不具备远程医疗服务访问技能和工具的患者可能会通过亲自寻求护理而增加暴露风险,或者完全延迟护理。我们知道,患者需要互联网接入、能够进行可视化通信的设备以及使用这些设备的技能,才能充分体验远程医疗的好处,但我们也知道,在这些方面都存在差距。目前,联邦计划已经赋予医生更大的远程提供护理的灵活性,并为弱势患者扩大了互联网接入,以促进远程医疗服务。然而,这些变化是暂时的,尚不确定在大流行结束时哪些变化会保留下来。家庭医生在识别和解决这些差距以及促进未来更公平的护理方面发挥着重要作用。