April 3, 2020

Setting Up Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Wendy H. Vogel, MSN, FNP, AOCNP®, Executive Director of APSHO

Telemedicine isn’t a novel concept. But to many of us in oncology, especially in the community, it is a new process. The COVID-19 pandemic has many oncology practices scrambling to set up a method of telehealth that is expedient, effective, and safe for our patients with hematologic and oncologic diseases.

CMS Waiver
By President Trump’s emergency declaration under 1135 Waiver (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relaxed the strict guidelines of Medicare telehealth in order to increase access to health care while still helping to contain the community spread of this virus.

As of March 6, 2020, Medicare can pay for office, hospital, and other visits when performed via telehealth. Multiple providers are included in this waiver, including doctors, advanced practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers.

Role of Telemedicine
The goal of telemedicine during the pandemic is to decrease the spread of COVID-19 and to keep vulnerable persons and those with mild symptoms in their homes while maintaining their access to care. In oncology and hematology, the emerging need for telemedicine presents some unique challenges. Not only are advanced practitioners and other health-care providers faced with technical challenges such as software platforms and computer integrations, there are even tougher challenges such as critical decision-making about cancer treatments and the need for triaging access to the chemotherapy suite.

APSHO Resources
APSHO will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 7, at 7:00 pm EDT (Encore presentation Tuesday April 16, at 2:00 pm EDT) that will present practical information on easily and efficiently setting up telemedicine for your oncology practice. Jason Astrin, PA-C, MBA, DFAAPA, the Director of Advanced Practice Provider Services for The US Oncology Network, will be presenting this essential information.

This special APSHO Advance series will bring you articles and interviews on how advanced practitioners are responding to the crisis, including dealing with these telemedicine challenges. Our Resources page also lists multiple sites with helpful information.

You can listen to interviews on The JADPRO podcast for topics surrounding COVID-19 and oncology/hematology.

Just like the COVID pandemic, telemedicine laws, governance, and reimbursement are fluid and subject to change daily. APSHO strives to keep APs informed and COVID-19 is no exception.

We would also like to invite APSHO members to dialogue with one another on the APSHO member forums and blog . Ask your colleagues questions and get timely answers.

References:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Public Health Emergency: 1135 Waivers. Retrieved from https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/Pages/1135-waivers.aspx .

Read more from the APSHO Advance: Special COVID-19 Series