HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 32

Acceleration of Change
Health
Reimagining what’s
possible from a distance
Dr. Mark Victor, CEO of Cardiology Consultants of
Philadelphia, says the group’s 96 cardiologists working
at 35 centers throughout the region performed no
virtual visits before closing for everything but emergencies
on March 13. The following Monday, Cardiology
Consultants reopened virtually and its doctors started
performing up to 4,000 telemedicine checks a week.
Virtual triaging of established patients over the
ensuing months revealed to Victor that only about
20% needed to have an in-person follow-up. These were
people experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain,
or lower-extremity swelling that suggested something
serious going on. His doctors could manage the vast
majority of patients remotely by talking to them, ordering
lab work, and adjusting medications. And so far,
patients have been happy with the experience.
“We’ve heard from our patients that they’d like to
have follow-up visits with telehealth,” Victor says. “A
cohort of these patients will opt for this service, and
we’ll continue it even after COVID-19 ends.”
Ayalasomayajula says that while telemedicine
won’t ever replace the need for in-person visits, it will
increasingly help doctors deliver a range of care to
patients, from virtual triage all the way through disease
management.
“Your computer is becoming your wellness check as
part of a true continuum of care,” she says.
Can telehealth bridge
the access gap?
To realize the technology’s full potential, HP’s
Ayalasomayajula says the healthcare system must
address unequal access to technology and connectivity
due to age, socioeconomic factors, or geography.
“We need to figure out how to do this for anyone who
would benefit,” she says. “This isn’t just about responding
to COVID-19 lockdowns. Digital health can help us
address the many healthcare challenges that are staring
us in the face—if we get it right.”
One way to broaden access, says Raja Bhadury,
HP’s Global Head of Enterprise Healthcare, is for tech
companies to keep innovating to drive down costs of
computers, webcams, and broadband.
Cheaper tech, patient and
doctor education on how to use it,
and programs like language translation
will help alleviate longstanding
access gaps.
“Look at the number of psychiatrists
we have in some rural areas—it’s
abysmal,” Bhadury says, pointing to
the fact that 90% of psychiatrists and
psychologists work in metropolitan
areas. Thousands more would be
needed to address rural shortages.
“Telemedicine can provide access to
so many more people,” he says.
Telehealth is vital for
patients who require
consistent medical
attention but also
need to stay protected
at home, left. A doctor
at a hospital uses
video technology to
monitor and prepare
for a patient arriving
by ambulance, right.
PHOTOGRAPH BY
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
30