Before the pandemic, telemedicine – defined by the American Academy of Family Physicians as the use of technology to deliver care from a distance, with telehealth comprising the technology and services providing that distance care – reached only about 4% of the patient population. With distancing mandates and stay-at-home orders in place in April 2020, the practice accounted for more than 43% of primary care visits, up from less than 1% two months prior, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In March 2020, less than 20% of the population had experienced a telehealth appointment; about 61% had a year later. Sustaining patient care While telehealth doesn’t apply to procedures such as biopsies, lab tests or vaccine injections, its use of mobile devices, live audio and video, and smart digital tools enables follow-up visits, medication instructions and consultations in areas ranging from diabetes and dermatology to mental health. “We are not using technology to replace the doctor-patient relationship. We’re using technology to supplement and support that relationship,” says Deidre Keeves, director of connected health for UCLA Health in Los Angeles. Ada Stewart spoke to telehealth’s benefits for her family medical practice in Columbia, S.C, during the pandemic. “People were able to receive access to healthcare. We were able to reach out to our patients who were afraid to come into the office to be seen. It really afforded that opportunity to still take care of our patients and do so in a safe way,” she told HealthDay News. So will telehealth – which by one estimate could account for more than $100 billion of U.S. healthcare spend by 2023 –maintain a central role in medical care delivery? Or, absent the pandemic’s extraordinary circumstances, could it fall into relative obscurity? Could turn...