Telemedicine After COVID-19: Incorporating Virtual Visits Into Your Practice

The use of telemedicine services within orthopaedics increased rapidly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine may improve access to care and save time and money for patients and clinicians; however, limitations such as technical issues and limited physical examination may reduce its widespread adoption. Virtual visits generally produce equivalent satisfaction and clinical outcomes compared with those performed in person. Although telemedicine has served many different roles within orthopaedic practices, its main utility is for patients who have to travel significant distances and for visits that do not require physical examination to determine a treatment plan. Several regulations govern the use of telemedicine. Most notably, clinicians must be licensed to practice medicine in the state in which the patient is located during the appointment. Although compliance issues remain a potential source of legal issues, experts cite misdiagnosis from limited physical examination as the most likely reason for medical liability. Clinicians should be familiar with techniques for virtual physical examination and should provide instruction to patients before the visit to optimize data obtained.