When asked about implementation plans, 24 percent to 34 percent said they don’t know or it is not their decision (varies by technology).
Many physicians are interested in learning more about available technology solutions (55 percent of those with no technologies implemented, and 51 percent of those with some implementations).
The barriers to telehealth adoption among physicians go beyond the issues of reimbursement, licensing, and regulatory barriers. ACP found that physicians find it challenging to integrate telehealth into their practice’s workflow. They also expressed concerns about patients having access to the needed technology, and the potential for medical errors.
“The good news is that more than half of internists are interested in ACP providing guidance and education to help them safely and effectively integrate telehealth into their practices,” Dr. López said
To support internists to implement telehealth technologies, ACP plans to develop and release practical resources specific to an internal medicine practice. The initial focus will be on virtual visits, expanding to other telehealth applications in the future as the technology matures. ACP will offer guidance on appropriate use cases, practice workflow changes, the current state of reimbursement and regulatory issues, and equipment and vendor selection.
“We hope these resources can help close the gap between physician use of telehealth and patients' desire for flexibility and access to their physicians,” said Tabassum Salam, MD, FACP, ACP’s Vice President for Medical Education.
ACP supports the expanded role of telemedicine in the primary care setting when used as a component of a patient's longitudinal care, but recommends that physicians should use their professional judgement about whether the use of telemedicine is appropriate for a patient and the situation. ACP also supports reimbursement for appropriately structured telemedicine communications. These recommendations were set forth in a 2015 ACP policy paper on the use of telemedicine in primary care.
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 154,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness.
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