New numbers prove that more people than ever before are using telemedicine to connect with their doctors, whether for COVID-19 concerns or other medical needs.
The shift to telehealth seems to be working for some, but the jury is still out on whether virtual visits will be the norm after the pandemic is over.
For the first time in her career, OBGYN Dr. Tiffany Jackson is seeing patients through her phone while sitting in her bedroom.
"I definitely wanted to take advantage of it to help protect patients, help protect me and my staff but still be able to continue medical care," said Dr. Jackson.
Like with many doctors, going virtual was one way Dr. Jackson could keep up with her practice and she said surprisingly she's been able to help patients with a wider variety of issues than she had expected.
Her affiliated health system, Baylor Scott & White, said telehealth visits throughout the system have increased 433% since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U-S.
They went from 85 eVisits a day to an average of 1,300 eVisits a day.
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However, the switch to virtual hasn't been seamless across the board.
While national policymakers have lifted restrictions on its use, there have been billing issues reported around the state.
Local healthcare leaders believe it will take more than a pandemic to make telemedicine work on a broader scale.
"It's an opportunity for policy makers, insurance and Medicare and Medicaid alike to address some of the privacy and billing issues related to it, so there's a lot of work that was already needed in that arena and certainly this has brought it to the forefront," said President of the Dallas County Medical Society Dr. Mark Casanova.
It's certainly helped during the crisis, according to physicians as it can ensure their safety as well as that of their patients.
Baylor Scott & White says expanding telehealth has helped them screen more than 100,000 people for COVID-19.
