AGA released a new Clinical Practice Update providing commentary to help navigate and incorporate telemedicine into your gastroenterology practice.
Telemedicine has been a valued component of some gastroenterology practices for years. However, the use of telemedicine increased abruptly in mid-2020, as individual and population-wide safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand from both patient and provider communities, and third-party payers removed barriers to reimbursement. Although telemedicine visits have fallen and in-person visits have increased gradually since the initial wave of COVID-19 in 2020, telemedicine remains an important format for ambulatory care, and is likely to persist long after the current pandemic has waned. Furthermore, the post-pandemic landscape of care via telemedicine must balance the medical needs, quality of care, patient and provider preferences, regulatory requirements and reimbursement of care provided.