Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023

1
(No Transcript)
2
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
Need of Wound Care Telemedicine Telemedicine is
a new, rapidly evolving area and can be of great
value in the provision of healthcare to remote
and rural populations. Wound healing and wound
management are prime candidates for telemedicine.
By reducing the need to travel long distances to
the hospital or to consult with a physician,
telemedicine decreases the costs and improves the
quality of life for patients with chronic wounds,
while still maintaining high standards of wound
care. The intent of telemedicine is to reduce, in
a clinically equivalent way, the number of visits
to a specialized clinic, but not necessarily to
eliminate all visits. Wound care telemedicine
allows the general practitioner to communicate
with the specialist via telecommunications in
co-managing the patients' wounds, effectively
reducing the wait for specialists, allowing
patients to get treated faster. Wound Care
Telemedicine during COVID-19 The spread of
COVID-19 rapidly progressed to become a pandemic
event, causing major disruption in healthcare
services, including the care of patients with
wounds. Out of necessity, the delivery of wound
care, which should be regarded as an essential
medical service, shifted.
3
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
The major goals of wound care during the pandemic
have been shifted to prevent serious wound
complications to minimize hospitalization and
surgery, when possible, rather than necessarily
to complete wound healing. Risk for COVID-19 in
patients with chronic wounds, a non-healing wound
is often a culmination of multiple underlying
medical problems. Most patients with chronic
wounds have multiple comorbidities, such as
diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney
disease. These same risk factors place many
patients with chronic wounds in a high-risk
category for developing severe consequences if
they become ill with COVID-19. Diabetes
mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases,
smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), malignancy, and chronic kidney disease
were among the most common comorbid conditions.
Because of this increased risk, efforts to
decrease exposure to the virus are of the utmost
importance in patients with chronic wounds. In
addition to using the standard practices for
preventing person-to-person transmission,
reducing the number of wound care visits,
reducing the time interval, and selecting the
optimal environment for wound care may help
reduce exposure to COVID-19. The main
requirement for initiating telehealth is patient
accessibility via smartphone or computer.
4
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
Any of several online computer/smartphone
applications and services, as well as
hospital-based telehealth platforms, can be used.
Most nurses have access to a telehealth
communication platform to help keep track of
medical information, such as the vitals, physical
examination, wound measurements, and the progress
of the wound. Verbal consent of the patient or
legal guardian is required for telehealth or
telephonic communication. Any of these allow a
virtual appointment with the patient, during
which the patient can discuss their history and
concerns. The patient can be scheduled for a
weekly telehealth visit with a nurse, and
patients with deterioration of wound progress can
be directed back to the office for further
evaluation. Challenges for Wound Care
Telemedicine There are many technical barriers
to telehealth services. Adequate internet
capability, whether wired (ethernet) or wireless,
of the provider and patient is essential and
determines the speed and image quality in
demonstrating wounds to the provider. Some
patients are unable to download the appropriate
applications owing to the age of their devices.
Older devices have less memory capacity for the
newer apps needed for telehealth. Increasing the
broadband capability allows faster transmission
of video images and less freezing. Poor image
quality makes it difficult to provide a proper
diagnosis.
5
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
Patients who lack resources for data transmission
and photos via a smartphone may resort to
correspondence via the hospital or patient portal
system, if available. The patient can email
photos or discuss their concerns directly with
their provider over the phone (i.e., telephonic).
With email, there may be delays in the
transmission of patient health information due to
its encryption. It is also important to note that
coding and billing reimbursement for provider
services over the phone differs from telehealth
face-to-face visits. Effectiveness of Wound Care
Telemedicine Multiple studies during the
pandemic have pointed to the effectiveness of
telehealth for improving wound care outcomes as
well as high patient satisfaction rates with
these services. Telehealth has been used to care
for patients with diabetes for over two decades
with good results. In a meta-analysis that
included two trials, 213 patients treated using
telehealth were compared with 301 patients
treated with usual care. The telehealth system
comprised a trained nurse who collected data and
took digital images of the wound. Collected data
included questions about the quality of life,
such as nutrition, movement, and pain levels, as
well as patient satisfaction with the treatment.
6
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
The information was then sent to the physician
for decision-making. Complete ulcer healing,
healing time, and amputation rate were similar
between the groups. The telehealth group had a
significantly higher mortality rate (4.1 percent
versus 1.2) without clear underlying reasons. No
adverse events were attributed to using
telehealth. The studies in the systematic review
also reported that supplementing outpatient
clinic visits with telehealth consultations
increased the frequency of complete healing and
the healing rate of diabetic foot ulcers, as well
as reduced the frequency of limb amputation.
Several studies also reported good patient
satisfaction with their telehealth
experience. To Summarize Telemedicine can be
used as a valuable add-on service to enhance
patient care in the specialty of wound care.
In-person, face-to-face interaction between a
physician and patient allows physicians to handle
many complex social and psychological issues
pertaining to the patient and their family
members that cannot be achieved by telemedicine.
Telemedicine lacks the touch, which has the
power of healing. Telemedicine presents new
opportunities for physicians in their wound care
practice. In the future, the wound care center
can become a hub for telemedicine services
connecting home health, skilled nursing
facilities, acute long-term care, and rural
facilities.
7
Feasibility of Wound Care Telemedicine in 2023
Wound care telemedicine may provide needed
continuity of care for our complex wound care
patients in all settings. Telehealth technology
is going to disrupt how we practice in the future
and it promises to provide the triple aim of low
cost, better quality, and access to our patients.
At the same time, many state and federal legal
considerations should be looked at before
starting wound care telemedicine services. We
shared the article on feasibility of wound care
telemedicine in 2023 for reference purposes, you
can visit reference links for a detailed
understanding. Medical Billers and Coders
(MBC) is a leading medical billing company
providing complete revenue cycle services. As a
leading medical billing company, we are aware of
telemedicine billing guidelines for Medicaid,
Medicare, and all private insurance payers. We
can assist you in receiving accurate insurance
reimbursement for wound care telemedicine
services. To know more about our wound care
billing and coding services, email us
at info_at_medicalbillersandcoders.com or call us
at 888-357-3226. References COVID-19 Issues
related to wound care and telehealth
management How Telemedicine Is Influencing Wound
Care Effectiveness of Telemedicine for Distant
Wound Care Advice towards Patient Outcomes
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis