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Before the pandemic hit in 2019, Pooja Aysola, MD, considered herself lucky because she could tap into telehealth for neurology consults in her work as an emergency department physician.
"We would wheel in a computer screen with a neurologist on board every time we had a suspected stroke patient. And I was able to talk directly to the neurologist about my patient's symptoms. And it was great," Aysola said.
The pandemic, however, prompted the need for telehealth in many situations beyond specialty care. As such, investment exploded over the past few years.
"We're seeing telehealth across all specialties...more than half of clinicians are now saying that they do believe that virtual visits will surpass in-person visits for primary care needs," said Aysola, who also serves as senior director, clinical operations at Wheel, a Texas-based telehealth company.
Aysola spoke during an American Telemedicine Association conference panel addressing how COVID prompted an uptick in telehealth investment and utilization and how such virtual care is likely to evolve moving forward.
Nathaniel Lacktman
Nathaniel Lacktman, a partner at law firm Foley & Lardner LLP, agreed with Aysola's assessment of the market.
"The appetite for virtual care has become voracious," said Lacktman, who chairs the firm's telemedicine and digital health team.
