Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1251567
59 CIO / HEALTH IT Dr. Eric Topol: Why remote healthcare 'will be here to stay' after COVID-19 By Jackie Drees T he COVID-19 pandemic has been an accelerant to the use of technology in the remote healthcare space. And while it will not serve as the single solution to the pandemic, it will "be one of the lasting consequences," according to Eric Topol, MD, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, Calif. Despite its steady rise in use among health- care providers for years, telemedicine has not yet become a mainstream form of patient interaction because it lacks the traditional element of the physical visit: hands-on care, Dr. Topol wrote in a March 31 op-ed for the Economist. e technology has also been bogged down by regulatory and commercial hurdles as well the need for a secure digital infrastructure to support patient and physi- cian interactions. As the global community faces a lockdown due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, remote healthcare and telemedicine have been integral to the healthcare industry's response, according to Dr. Topol. Rapid video visits between pa- tients and clinicians are helping limit the spread of the virus, so people who may be infected with COVID-19 – both patients and physicians – do not expose others by going to the hospital. During the pandemic, public health systems have been making remote healthcare easier to access. In March, CMS began covering telemed- icine visits for Medicare patients, and several states have issued requirements to insurers to do the same. In Seattle, University of Washington Medicine and Seattle Children's Hospital part- nered with Amazon Care to deliver at-home coronavirus test kits to residents in the area. "e social and medical practices that are happening in response to COVID-19 will remain in place when the crisis eventually subsides," Dr. Topol wrote. "It will certainly apply to all elective, routine and out-patient visits. And for any infectious disease, includ- ing the seasonal flu, clinics will not want to risk exposing other patients (and their family members) as they sit in waiting rooms, nor risk infecting healthcare workers. Telemedi- cine will play the role of the first consultation, akin to the house call of yore." Dr. Topol highlighted several uses of technol- ogy that can support telemedicine and remote examinations, including "smart thermometers" that can detect flu outbreaks, wearable devices that measure heart rates and sensors that can continuously capture coughs, breathing rate and body temperature, among other data. Coupled with these advancements in tele- medicine and remote monitoring technolo- gy, remote healthcare will never fully replace in-person care but will continue to serve as a useful asset and first line of defense in the healthcare space and during future pandem- ics, Dr. Topol wrote. n Seattle Children's CIO Dr. Zafar Chaudry on IT priorities for caregivers during the pandemic By Laura Dyrda Z afar Chaudry, MD, senior vice president and CIO of Seattle Children's, outlines his top priorities to support his team and caregivers during the pandemic, as well as how he's planning for the long-term effects of COVID-19. Question: What are your top priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic? Dr. Zafar Chaudry: My priorities are maintaining a stable and resilient remote-working platform technology; the mental health of my employees; keeping clinical services supported so they can continue to take care of patients; and pivoting to virtual. Q: What are your top concerns heading into the next 30 days? ZC: My concerns are the sustainability of continued remote working — more from a mental health aspect versus the technology — as well as the losses in revenue healthcare systems are facing and clinician burnout. Q: How will the pandemic affect your strategy and ar- eas of focus in the next six to 12 months? ZC: The pandemic has resulted in a shift in IT strategy: bet- ter prioritization and focus on mission critical projects only; reduction in contractor resources; restructuring of teams; cost improvement programs; hybrid outsourcing more managed services; as well as a longer term focus on how to sustain supporting a remote worker force. Q: How do you think COVID-19 will change healthcare delivery, and what can health systems do to prepare? ZC: COVID-19 is going to have a long-term effect on how healthcare organizations look at their costs; how they shift delivery of care away from medical centers; and how they pivot to virtual moving forward. Health- care systems must reevaluate all aspects of how they deliver care and make sustainable plans to put cost-im- provement programs into place throughout all clinical and nonclinical areas. Healthcare systems should plan to reduce back office costs such as IT, human resources, revenue cycle and facilities. n