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eConsulting in Addiction is Trending Amidst The Covid-19 Concerns

By Ernest Hamilton | Update Date: Nov 27, 2020 11:07 AM EST
eConsulting in Addiction is Trending Amidst The Covid-19 Concerns

(Photo : eConsulting in Addiction is Trending Amidst The Covid-19 Concerns)

When the COVID-19 put a halt to the day-to-day life activities of billions of people worldwide, the healthcare sector crumbled more than any other industry. It might seem surprising for many, but unfortunately, it's true. While we are not referring to the patient toll, it was more about "being prepared" for such unprecedented times. 

But what experts feared the most was the fate of half a million Americans with opioid addiction issues. Various surveys projected that approximately 75,000 Americans would die from suicide or overdose as a result of the pandemic. 

Why? Because logistics regarding addiction treatment are more complicated. And with walk-in addiction treatment closed or reduced, the concerns of increasing overdose rates were skyrocketing. A few others felt that some of the unemployed Americans might lose their insurance that could hinder their ability to pay. 

eConsults Became Like a "Knight in The Shining Armour" 

With COVID-19 impacting the quality of services, the government decided to relax substance use treatment regulations. For example, rules like providing home medication delivery to individuals under quarantine became accessible. Further, providers are requested to dispense quantities of methadone and buprenorphine. 

Meanwhile, providers are encouraged to use online consultations for patients who can easily survive with video consultations until things are back to normal. Addiction specialists can provide medications to selected patients to decrease their cravings. In other words, Addiction Treatment through telehealth is helping patients to avail their consultation conveniently. 

But the interesting part is that it's acting as a pilot to test some of the new approaches, telehealth being one of them. So, the questions like, "How to maintain the treatment availability for patients in early recovery?," or "How to provide the best consultation amid the crisis?" did not matter anymore. 

This is why eConsults are promising:

  • eConsults will respond in less than 24 hrs providing necessary guidance and contingency planning. 

  • Trained healthcare professionals will assist their patients via online consulting. 

  • You can provide previous prescriptions and other medical data and specific queries to the provider with a click alone.

It's like healthcare is taking the eCommerce route. Like you can shop for essentials and other stuff online, doctors are available online to take care of your medical needs. Isn't that amazing!

In the End

With the advent of the pandemic, federal and state authorities have finally relaxed regulations concerning telehealth and addiction treatment services. Using telehealth during Covid-19 offers numerous benefits to continue addiction treatment services. Other than that, 

  1. It promotes the practice of physical distancing since the initial patient evaluation and other modalities don't require face-to-face interactions. So, limiting the risk of exposing patients to this deadly virus. 

  2. Addresses pandemic and epidemic situations for vulnerable healthcare workers.

  3. Extends and expands the reach of doctors to communities that have limited resources. 

  4. Enables quarantined doctors to safely keep a check on their patients without compromising the safety of other patients. 

The pandemic has helped authorities take note of their policies, especially regarding eConsulting practices. They realized the importance of this technology and what all it could in drastic situations. 

Be it any industry, convenience, and comfort is becoming an inherent part of business operations. Then why not take advantage of this situation, and let it grow more for better patient care in every situation. 

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of counselheal.com

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