Telemedicine certainly did not wait for the covid-19 pandemic to develop in Brittany. Our region was even one of the pioneers in this area.
But since March 16 and the announcement of confinement, this practice explodes. Teleconsultation is experiencing a particular boom, going from 2,428 acts since January 1, 2020 to almost 77,000 acts recorded in Brittany during the confinement period alone (from March 16 to April 5).
Another indicator: the number of liberal health professionals having carried out a teleconsultation at least once in 2020 has been multiplied by 11, underlines the Regional Health Agency, passing to almost 2,500 practitioners including a very large majority of general practitioners.
It is true that digital tools allow medical monitoring, whether or not linked to the Coronavirus, while protecting health professionals and their patients, and limiting the spread of the virus.
“There is no doubt that the new care practices acquired during this period will trace a furrow to promote lasting changes,” comments the ARS.
What if my attending physician does not provide teleconsultation?
Since March 10, the conditions for reimbursement by Medicare of teleconsultation procedures have been relaxed.
Patients infected with Covid-19, or with symptoms of the infection, no longer have to go through their doctor to conduct a teleconsultation. In addition, they are no longer required to have had a face-to-face consultation with their doctor in the past 12 months before obtaining a teleconsultation appointment.
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