Advancing Telemedicine Within Family Medicine's Core Values
Anthony Cheng, Cirila Estela Vasquez Guzmán, Tyler C. Duffield, Holly Hofkamp
Abstract
Telemedicine adoption has been gradual but accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important for us to pause and consider how this impacts family medicine. How do we ground ourselves so that we use technology to enhance our practice while maintaining fundamental family medicine values? In this article, we explore how telemedicine interacts with five family medicine tenants: contextual care, continuity of care, access to care, comprehensive care, and care coordination. Keeping this framework in mind and using a health equity lens can help us retain fundamental family medicine values as we adapt to rapid technological change.
Topics & Concepts
TelemedicinePandemicEquity (law)Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Health careContinuity of careMedicineFamily medicineNursingPublic relationsPolitical scienceInfectious disease (medical specialty)LawDiseasePathologyTelemedicine and Telehealth ImplementationPrimary Care and Health OutcomesPatient Satisfaction in Healthcare