I took a course at Harvard Medical School about ten years ago. It focused on the use of telehealth technologies in treating mental health disorders. The evidence was presented. It proved that virtual mental health interactions were as effective as face to face meetings. 

Coming out of that course, I was convinced that telehealth was an acceptable technology and ready for prime time.

My timing was wrong. By delivering mental health services with a virtual meeting with the patient, it was felt by the traditional institutions to be inappropriate. 

And since I had adopted telehealth for my substance use disorder medicine work and in delivering travel health healthcare services by partnering with pharmacists in smaller communities, I was informed that this was not appropriate. I was labelled a disruptor.  

The traditionalists will reiterate until their last breath that doctor patient interactions must occur face to face. 

Enter COVID19 and that changes dramatically. 

Now almost all mental health services are delivered using telehealth. And many patients find it much preferred. As do the doctors. 

Raymond Rupert patient advocate and healthcare consultant.

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I was challenged by the medical establishment for using telehealth about 5 years ago.

I had partnered with pharmacies in remote communities to provide advice about travel medications.

A doctor in the community complained about my use of telehealth. He did not like the competition in travel health services.

This lead to a formal investigation by the authorities for using telehealth technology partnering with pharmacists.

So the irony today is that with COVID most interactions with doctors are virtual using telehealth.

Telehealth companies are dominating healthcare delivery nationally and internationally.

This is easier for the patient and for the doctors. It is cost effective. It is safer. It is based on the patient’s needs and not the doctor’s availability. When a call is booked, the patient does not have to wait for 2 hours in the waiting room with other patients coughing on them.

It will be impossible to return to the old model of face to face checkups.

So COVID has the unexpected benefit of accelerating innovation in care delivery to benefit the patients.

Raymond Rupert patient advocate & healthcare consultant.

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