As the U.S. population grows and ages, innovative solutions to meeting the growing demands on the primary care workforce and infrastructure are needed. Telehealth- caring for patients remotely- has become a key strategy to increasing access to specialty care in many rural communities. Its penetration into primary care has been slower than in many specialty settings, and little is known about best practices for telehealth in primary care and what barriers exist to spreading access to primary care through telehealth. In this forum, an expert panel with experience in frontline delivery of care through telehealth offers their insights into how telehealth can augment access to primary care for some of the most vulnerable patient populations (pregnant women, children, and veterans).
Adam Darkins, MD, MPHM, FRCS, is Chief Consultant for Telehealth Services at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Panel Presentation: Telehealth Services in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Curtis Lowery, MD, is Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Panel Presentation: ANGELS: Telemedicine in Arkansas
Kenneth M. McConnochie, MD, MPH, is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Panel Presentation: Telehealth and Value in Primary Care