A couple of weeks ago, JAMA published a study that raised concerns about the quality of care being delivered by several telemedicine companies. These findings were quickly scooped up by news outlets and spun into some very sensational stories which concluded all telemedicine is lacking. What many of the stories failed to mention is that while some of the telemedicine companies that were tested are indeed subpar, there are also a handful of telemedicine companies that are leading the industry by providing adequate care for the patients who utilize them.
Dr. Jack Resneck, a dermatologist at UCSF and lead author on the study, told interviewers, “That’s why telemedicine is best performed by physicians and team members who are part of practices or regional systems in which patients already receive care.”
For the most serious diagnoses, patients must be able to promptly visit the doctor’s office for additional tests or procedures. Likewise, doctors must be able to follow up with their patients after certain procedures or prescribing medicine.
At HealthLens, we strive to connect patients with their own doctors. This way they can always schedule an office visit if the need arises. Another alarming concern raised in the study is that some telemedicine companies do not let their patients choose their healthcare provider and, as a result, patients can receive diagnoses and treatment recommendations from doctors who are not licensed in the state, or even the country, in which they were providing care.
Fortunately, this is never an issue for the patients who use HealthLens. Patients can peruse the doctors in their area, review their credentials, and then select the provider that best fits their needs. When it comes to picking the right telemedicine company, choose the one that your doctor recommends, HealthLens.
