key: cord-0991037-6mf4jmqp
authors: Rosen, Claire B.; Joffe, Steven; Kelz, Rachel R.
title: COVID-19 Moves Medicine into a Virtual Space: A Paradigm Shift From Touch to Talk to Establish Trust
date: 2020-05-20
journal: Ann Surg
DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004098
sha: 84e83fd44218e122aac7e2d7a71d1d330d8d8d30
doc_id: 991037
cord_uid: 6mf4jmqp

nan

counterbalance the value of an in-person exam. During the pandemic, the added risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 tips the scales further in favor of virtual visits.

The doctor-patient relationship hinges on mutual respect and trust. In a world where online dating dominates the singles scene and video chatting with licensed therapists allows patients critical access to mental health care, surgeons should believe that their ability to establish a relationship based on trust does not require physical contact. Shouldn't it be possible for a surgeon to inspire her patients to believe in her ability during virtual visits where she faces the patient, his caregivers, and the electronic health record simultaneously?

Might it, in fact, be easier to make meaningful connections with patients when one can see them on time, in the convenience of their home or place of work? Wouldn't it be more respectful and financially responsible to offer a visit free from wasted travel and waitingroom time?

Prior to the COVID pandemic, with diminishing reimbursements and the advent of the electronic health record, physicians were already spending less face-to-face time with patients in favor of more face-to-screen time. 1 In addition, expensive parking fees or transportation costs, coupled with crowded waiting rooms, were the norm. 2 To make time for medical visits, patients often needed to take time off from work, and some have faced the threat of unemployment in order to meet the demands of their medical needs. 3 Telehealth dramatically reduces the time and economic burden of routine medical care 2, 4 and, in times of contagion, eliminates the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in overcrowded waiting

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