Not everything that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been bad. Prior to the outbreak of the disease, very few people were using telehealth options for health care. That number grew and with it came a recognition that the use of telehealth needed to be extended.
A bill co-authored by State Senator Eric Bassler (R-Washington) and sponsored by State Representative Shane Lindauer (R-Jasper) has guaranteed that telehealth services can continue beyond the pandemic.
“Through the use of telehealth, the health care field saw an increase in patients keeping and attending their appointments,” said Rep. Lindauer. “Expanding telehealth has removed barriers for Hoosier, and many have been able to see their providers without having to worry about receiving transportation to the office or taking off work for in-person visits.”
“This is a very positive law,” said Tracy Conroy, CEO for Daviess Community Hospital. “The expansion of telehealth has to be one of the real positives to come out of the pandemic. It is something we talked a lot about before COVID hit but after that we began to use it a lot.”
Officials say at the beginning of the pandemic Governor Eric Holcomb issued an executive order for providers to utilize telehealth options when providing medical care.
“We have been a strong advocate for expanded telehealth for quite a while,” said Executive Director for the Indiana Rural Health Association Cara Veale. “Before the pandemic telehealth was very restricted. Now it is giving rural Hoosiers better access to health care. The new law allows for that care to continue uninterrupted when the emergency is ended.”
Indiana University Health reports that since the beginning of the pandemic their doctors have conducted 80,000 telehealth visits. That is a 10,000% increase from the previous year.
Not only did telehealth come during the pandemic, it also arrived at a time when people found it necessary to become more tech-savvy. As they became better at Zoom, Skype and Facetime the use of telehealth expanded.
“We saw a lot of growth in the use of technology during the pandemic and that included telehealth,” said Conroy. “Working virtually has proved in some cases to be more productive. Telehealth goes hand-in-hand with that expansion in the use of technology.”
Governor Eric Holcomb made the permanent expansion of telehealth one of his top issues for the recently completed general assembly.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoosiers used telehealth services more than ever before, letting them receive quality care safely in the comfort of their homes,” said Holcomb. “Telehealth is a win for everyone—care providers have fewer missed visits, patients reduce their travel time for care, and public health improves. Telehealth increases healthcare access and improves health outcomes, and I am proud to say that with the signing of Senate Enrolled Act 3 these services are here to stay in Indiana.”
The new law incorporated a list of 28 different types of providers who are allowed to use telehealth services. They include dentists, physicians, veterinarians, speech-language pathologist, audiologists, nurses and more.
“I really wish they had just left it at health care providers, instead of listing specific positions,” said Veale. “If there is a weakness with this bill, it is that we are certain to find that there are some medical professions that were not included that they will have to add in the future.”
The law will also ensure that the quality of service a patient receives virtually, along with the creation and maintenance of their telehealth medical records remains the same as an in-person setting.
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