The Purview Blog

If you are like most practices, the words “virtual care” have become critical to your survival this year. With the changes the world has faced as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, facilities that once relied exclusively on in-person treatment have been forced to explore ways to meet their patients’ needs without always seeing them face-to-face. By this point in time, most practices are aware of telehealth software that can enable a virtual meeting with a patient. These programs allow physicians to talk through simple issues with patients during a live video consultation. But what about complex or chronic issues? What if your practice offers specialized care that requires an assessment of a patient’s case history?

Basic telehealth software does not typically have an answer for these questions as the systems lack a comprehensive method for records aggregation and presentation. It’s for these cases that your virtual care toolbox needs to include a method for Remote Second Opinions. But what is a Remote Second Opinion (RSO)?

Well, I’m glad you asked…

Covid-19's Impact on Virtual Care

Patient Record Disconnect

The last thing a patient needs when they are sick, is to have to scurry around and collect their medical records from the various providers who generated the patient’s medical records. Often these records can help to understand a disease progression that is critical for the patient’s treatment plan. But patient records often reside at various providers who store these in proprietary, incompatible and disconnected silos, often requiring the patient show up in person to receive a CD or printed paper copy. Without these records in hand, a patient’s diagnosis can be incorrect or incomplete. Expensive and sometimes uncomfortable tests may have to be performed again.

We are all feeling the impact of COVID-19 on our lives as well as on our professions. Medical imaging practices are similarly being impacted. Unfortunately, much of the affect of this disease will have long-standing implications that will linger far beyond the containment of COVID-19. In order to survive and perhaps even grow in the new reality, imaging practices will need to make drastic adjustments in how they operate.

Dr. Littrell has extensive training beyond the chiropractic doctoral program. She holds several certifications well beyond the standard for her industry, including Diplomate of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (DIANM), and Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology (DACBR). The DACBR certificate is held by fewer than 350 people in the U.S. and requires an extensive residency and successful completion of 2 board examinations.