Open-Ended Responses on Telemedicine Adoption from Safety-Net Clinicians, October 2020–November 2021
| Key Finding | Supporting Quotes |
|---|---|
| Slow Adaptation due to Lack of Resources | - Difficulty with quickly converting to telehealth (phone & video) due to lack of support and reimbursement from CMS [Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services] and 3rd party payors up to this pandemic. Need to establish alternative ways to provide care to patients using telehealth, make it a standard of practice and provide Community support such as broadband and public education. (March 2021) |
| - It feels like there is not as much sharing between practices as there could be and a lot of reinventing the wheel. (November 2021) | |
| Rapid Implementation Improves Care | - Rapidly implementing virtual visits enabled us to introduce a new care delivery model to a reluctant population. With no other choice to receive care in some cases, it was discovered to be convenient. Virtual visits increase access and patient satisfaction. (March 2021) |
| - Our clinic implemented telehealth within about 2 weeks, and we were able to maintain continuity with patients. (March 2021) | |
| - Being able to switch to primarily telehealth very quickly, within the span of a week. I hope we will continue telehealth where it makes sense for patients. (March 2021) |